Lily, James and Chocolate Cake
by jimmieiscool7
Summary: Ok the chocolate cake comes later on in the story but it is a good story. Its about Lily and James obviously and their developing relationship. My friend likes it so...please read it.
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer**: Okay I own nothing Harry Potter. Some of the characters are my own. You will meet them in later chapters.

* * *

"James?" his mother's voice called through the door and reached him as he was lying on his bed reading a Quidditch magazine. "Honey? There's a letter for you downstairs."

"I'll be there in a minute mum." James Potter called back his eyes still skimming the magazine.

"Oh. Okay then. I made cookies as well if you want any."

"Thanks mum." James closed the magazine and walked to his door. He pressed his ear lightly to the cool wood and listened as his mother walked down the stairs. He pulled open his door and stepped into the hall. He walked down the stairs stopping only once to mess his hair up in the mirror that hung on the wall. He stepped down into the kitchen and smelt the freshly baked cookie smell that hung in the air. His parents were sitting at the table, smiling and laughing quietly with each other.

"Where's my letter?" James asked bluntly stepping forward and holding out his hand.

"Right here honey." James's mother rushed around the table and handed him a heavy envelope made of thick, creamy coloured parchment. Without reading the address, James tore open the seal and unfolded the parchment. He skimmed it quickly and whooped with delight.

"Yeah. I'm going to Hogwarts." James shouted happily pumping his fist into the air.

"Really? Honey that's wonderful. Congratulations." Both of his parents stood up, his mother to hug and kiss him, his father to pat him on the back and shake his hand.

"So when can we go to Diagon Alley?"

"Next week honey. We'll have to throw a party and invite the family to celebrate."

"Aww mum. Do we have too?"

"Yes."

James hugged both his parents and went back up to his room. On his Quidditch calendar he circled September 1st. The first day of Hogwarts. He couldn't wait.

* * *

"Lily?" a soft voice called down the hallway into the living room where Lily Evans sat, reading her new book.

"Yeah mum."

"Sweetie you got a letter. Strange looking letter."

"I'll be right there." Lily marked her page and stood up, stretching her lean body and rolling her necks to work out the kinks that had set up residence after reading for two hours straight. She walked down the hallway and into the large, airy kitchen. Her mother handed her a heavy letter on pale, creamy parchment. Lily carefully undid the seal studying the intricate design; a badger, a lion, an eagle and a serpent on a shield with a capital H in the middle. She pulled out a letter written on the same parchment as the envelope. She quickly scanned the letter and her eyes widened.

"Petunia!" she shouted up the stairs.

"What do you want?"

"Did you send me another fake letter?"

"No. Why would I send a letter to a pathetic little nobody like you?"

"I really don't like her mum." Lily said in a hushed undertone to her mother. Her mother sent her a cautioning look and held out her hand for the letter. She read it quickly and then gripped the edge of the bench.

"I... I don't understand this. Who would pull such an elaborate hoax?"

"Maybe it's for real." Lily put in.

"Maybe. I'll have to talk to your father about this. You being a witch is news to me as I've known you your entire life. I wonder what Hogwarts is like."

"Well we'll just have to wait and see wont we?"

"How do we get your school supplies?"

"Says here, Diagon Alley. I've never heard of it before have you?"

"No. But it can't be too hard to find could it?"

* * *

"Sirius! Get down here you have a bloody letter that I want out of my kitchen before I finish counting to thirty."

Sirius Black rushed down the stairs cursing under his breath. Lucky for him he was wearing socks so he slid the length of the hallway and jumped the steps into the kitchen. He grabbed up the letter and sprinted from the room just as his mother pulled her wand from her robe pocket. Sirius raced back up the stairs, slamming his way into his bedroom. He kicked his chair and sank onto his bed. He examined the thick, creamy envelope with the address on the front. Sirius ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter. He read it slowly; absorbing each word then muttered a curse under his breath. He was a wizard. And not just any wizard; he was a member of the old and in his opinion dishonourable Black family. And that honourable title was probably a sure bet that he would be placed in Slytherin House. The most horrible house of all from all the things he'd heard about it. Shaking his head he threw the letter across the room and return to reading his Quidditch magazine.


	2. The Train Ride

Lily's dad Emmet Evans hefted his youngest daughter's trunk onto a trolley and started wheeling it towards the platform. Lily and her mother were trailing him. Petunia hadn't been able to come owing to an important "meeting" that she couldn't get out of. Lily knew that it was a bunch of lies and fumed inside. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

'Nothing is going to spoil this day for me. I'm a witch and I'm going to Hogwarts. Lily had spent the past two weeks before school started again reading all her new school text books and writing to her old school friends. She looked around her and saw the swarming crowd. Her father turned back to her a confused expression on his face.

"I know there's a Diagon Alley. I went there myself but I'm having doubts about there being a Platform 9 and 3/4."

"Dad if the letter said it would be here then I'm sure it is." Lily looked past her father and glanced at the signs. One read, Platform 9, the other Platform 10. She looked at the people passing by and heard a loud hoot. Turning around quickly she managed to jump out of the way before almost being run over with a trolley. Lily looked and saw that the trolley had a trunk like her own and an owl in a cage packed on it. She looked at the driver of the trolley, a middle-aged woman with black hair down to her chin and piercingly bright hazel eyes. Lily smiled to her as the lady pushed the trolley around her.

"Excuse me?" Lily spoke up before she could stop herself. The lady turned around and smiled at her.

"Yes?"

"Um. Do you know anything about Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts? Are you new my dear?" At Lily's nod of agreement the lady went on, "So is my boy James. I think he's already gone through the barrier. He's such a naughty boy, leaving me to push this trolley by myself. Anyway it's quite simple all you do is run straight through the barrier between the two platforms. I'm afraid muggles can't do it."

"Muggles?"

"Non- magic people."

"Oh. Then I guess I'd better say good bye then." Lily turned to her father and hugged him tightly.

"Bye Lily-Flower. You take care of yourself and write to us with that new owl of yours." Lily nodded and turned to her mother. With tears in both their eyes Lily and her mother Darla hugged each other tightly.

"I love you Lily."

"I love you mum. I'm going to miss you heaps. But I'll write lots."

"You better. I'm sorry Petunia couldn't come. But you know…"

"Yeah mum I do know and I don't care. She doesn't like me for what I am and I don't like her because she's her."

"Lily." Darla said in a reproving tone.

"Sorry. Well I'd better go. See you for Christmas holidays. I love you both."

Darla and Emmet stood on the pathway and waved at their daughter until she disappeared through the barrier. Emmet hugged his wife and then led her to their car.

"Hey mum I found a carriage. Hi who are you?" James asked politely running towards his mother and a pretty girl around his own age with flowing red hair. The girl looked up at James and smiled patiently.

"Hello. I'm Lily Evans. I'm a first-year."

"Me too. Well come on mum. I found a compartment. Let's go. Bye Lily."

"James." Mrs Potter gave him a look.

"Oops sorry. Do you want to sit with me Lily?"

"If that's alright with you."

"Yeah I don't mind."

"Cool thanks." James followed Lily and Mrs Potter to a carriage halfway along the train. Lily climbed in and looked around.

"There's a carriage at the back of the train for the luggage and everything. If we leave it in here for awhile we can take it in later." James said knowingly. He had already checked out the entire train while he was waiting for his mum to come through the barrier with his things.

"Okay." Lily tried to heave her trunk onto the train from the platform. James stepped forward and helped her lift it high enough to slide it inside the compartment.

"Thanks." Her face was flushed and he noticed that her eyes were an emerald coloured green that glittered brightly.

"You're welcome." Together they got James' trunk into the compartment and jumped off to say goodbye to Mrs Potter.

"Bye mum."

"Bye James. Stay out of trouble. I love you."

"Yeah mum I know. See you at Christmas."

"Thanks for your help Mrs Potter."

"That's alright. It was nice to meet you Lily dear."

"Yes you too. Bye."

Lily and James sat down in the carriage and waved out the window as the train pulled out of the station. Soon they were moving moderately fast. The two had already taken their luggage to the carriage at the back and were now sitting in the compartment staring at each other.

"So what area of England are you from?" James asked trying to start a conversation to break the uncomfortable silence that pervaded the air.

"A small town near London. How about you?"

"We live in a large wizarding community near London."

"Cool."

The door to the carriage slid open and James and Lily both looked up. A tall boy stood there; his hair; black as night that curled down to beneath his ears, but in a manly way, and eyes warm chocolaty brown. He smiled at them both.

"Hi my name's Sirius Black. Would you mind if I sat with you guys? My cousin and her friends are being idiots."

"Sure." Lily and James both said together. Sirius sat next to James; who sat in the window seat.

'These two look alright. A little shy but otherwise alright.' He thought to himself when he looked through the glass window into the tiny compartment. He slid open the door and stepped inside. After introducing himself he was greeted warmly and soon he was sitting with James Potter and Lily Evans. First years like himself.

"So what are you two looking forward to the most?" Sirius asked hoping that he could get a conversation started.

"Well I like the look of Charms and of Potions." Lily said quietly.

"And I like Transfiguration and Quidditch matches."

"Do you like Quidditch?" Sirius asked.

"Definitely."

"Me too. Who's your favourite team?" Sirius asked. 'Finally a topic we all like.' He thought to himself.

"The Wilmington Willows."

"Yeah they're alright. I like the Ingleside Flyers."

"How bout you Lily?"

"I don't know what Quidditch is. My parents are muggles. So…"

"Oh well that's alright." Sirius turned back to the Quidditch conversation with James and Lily returned to staring out the window at the passing countryside.

'How rude are they?' Lily thought to herself sneaking a look at James Potter and Sirius Black who had been involved in their conversation for half an hour and who hadn't talked to Lily at all during that time. Lily looked up when the door slid open again. In the doorway stood a tall girl with slightly wavy brown hair and almost black eyes.

"Hi." She said brightly to Lily.

"Hey." Lily answered equally bright and cheerful. 'Finally someone who is interested in something other then Quidditch.'

"Could I sit in here? My brother's annoying the hell outta me." The girl whispered something under her breath that Lily couldn't hear.

"Sure. Have a seat." Lily motioned to the empty seat next to her.

"You have no idea how grateful I am. I'm Henriette Lewis by the way. I'm a first year."

"I'm Lily Evans. I'm a first year too. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. So do you know anything about Quidditch?"

"Not you too." Lily groaned despite herself.

"I'll take that as a no. That's good because I don't either. But I do know how to play exploding snap if you'd like a game?"

"Exploding Snap?" asked Lily uncertainly.

"It's easy and slightly harmless. It's fun."

So for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts Lily and Henriette played Exploding Snap and became close friends.


	3. The Feast and First Night

"Firs year's ova here." A loud voice shouted from somewhere in the dark. James saw a lantern bobbing in the distance and shrugging at Sirius made his way towards it.

"Me name's Reubeus Hagrid, but you can call me Hagrid. Now I'm in charge of takin' you lot across the lake up to the castle, so if everyone could get into the boats. Six to a boat!"

James hurried quickly to the last boat and climbed in. He was joined by Sirius, Lily, Lily's friend Henriette, a pale dark haired boy, and a small rat-like boy. Hagrid shouted some nonsense words and the boats moved slowly forwards towards the castle. Ducking under a waterfall the six came to a set of stone steps cut into the rock wall. Hagrid knocked loudly on the dark, wooden door with the crest of Hogwarts burnt into it. It was opened immediately by a tall, stern looking witch with her hair in a tight bun. The robes she wore were dark green and appeared starched around the collar and cuffs.

"Inside everyone quickly. My name is Professor McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmaster and Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. Very shortly you will all be sorted into four different houses. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Now try and make yourselves look presentable and I will be back to get you shortly." Professor McGonagall exited the room and the first years broke into excited chatter.

"She looks tough." Sirius remarked to James.

"Yeah." James agreed.

"Wonder what the record for detention is?"

"Dunno. But I know I'll break it."

"You're on mate. Bet you I do."

"Cool."

Professor McGonagall returned carrying with her a three legged wooden stool and a tattered old hat. She led the first years in a one person line across a wide stone flag hallway and through a set of double wooden doors. James looked around at the huge cavernous room and at the five tables, hundreds of students stared at the first years as they filed past. Professor McGonagall set the stool on the floor in front of the students and teachers. James felt himself being shoved from behind and turned around to glare at the person behind him. A tall boy stood behind him, his greasy black hair swinging into his eyes, a pale mousy brown. The boy noticed that James was glaring at him and glared back, not offering any apology for bumping him. James turned back around and saw that three people had already been sorted.

"Black, Bellatrix" A girl with long black hair and a sallow complexion stepped forward and placed the tattered hat on her head.

"Slytherin" the hat shouted out almost immediately. Smiling smugly Bellatrix removed the hat and replaced on the stool, then made her way over to the Slytherin table.

"Black, Sirius" James turned around and watched with interest as Sirius placed the hat on his head. The hat took longer then it had with Sirius's cousin but it eventually shouted out,

"Gryffindor" With a stunned, but happy expression on his face Sirius made his way over to the Gryffindor table where he was greeted by some older students.

James was staring around intently not really listening to the sorting. Because of this he didn't hear his name being called until the boy behind him poked him hard in the spine. James jolted out of his reverie and was about to turn around and punch the guy in the stomach when he heard his name being called by an irritated Professor McGonagall.

"Potter, James"

James walked forward and blushing furiously placed the hat on his head.

'_Hmm, another Potter. I remember you're father. Kevin wasn't it? Yes that's right. Well let's see you have smarts, courage, strength, but you also have a thirst for revenge. You would probably do well in Slytherin. But I see you are also trust-worthy and loyal. And brave. I believe you would do well in… GRYFFRINDOR!'_

James winced when the hat shouted that last part out. Hurriedly pulling the hat off his head James stood up and went to the Gryffindor table. He sat down across from Sirius and was welcomed by everyone.

"Congratulations James." Someone said a short way away said loud enough for him to hear over the chattering and welcomes surrounding him. He looked up and locked eyes with Lily Evans; the girl he had met on the train. He smiled his thanks and turned back to the Sorting. Fifteen more students were sorted and then Professor Dumbledore; headmaster of Hogwarts stood up.

"Welcome everyone to a new year at Hogwarts. For the first years who don't know the forbidden forest is off limit to everyone. Also Mr Filch would like me to remind you all that magic in the corridor is not permitted and three more objects have been added to his prohibited items list. So of this time Writhing Flesh-Biters, Flying hardballs and stink pellets are all prohibited in the school grounds. The whole list of prohibited objects may be viewed on his door at any time. Also I would like to announce this years new Head Boy and Head Girl. Once I read your name you can stand and take a bow. Your new Head Boy and Head Girl this year are Zacharius Hillroy from Hufflepuff and Sarah Elliot from Ravenclaw." A tall boy with brown hair and blue eyes stood and bowed and he was followed by a short girl with frizzy blonde hair and blue eyes who bowed and then sat back down in her seat her face flushed. "Anyway enough talking. Enjoy the feast." Dumbledore sat down and immediately the golden plates in front of the students filled with heapings of food. James and Sirius both piled their plates high with food and ate hungrily. James reached for his goblet of pumpkin juice and washed down his mouthful. He looked at the person next to him and saw that it was the same dark haired boy that he had shared the boat with.

"Hi I'm James Potter." James said offering his free hand to the boy. The boy looked down at the hand as if it would bite and then cautiously took it.

"My name's Remus Lupin. It's nice to meet you."

"And that's Sirius Black." At the mention of his name Sirius stopped his pig-fest and offered his hand to Remus.

"Nice to meet you."

"Same." Remus replied looking dumb-founded as Sirius speared a sausage from the platter in front of him and put it on his already filled plate.

The food had disappeared off the plates and Dumbledore stood up again.

"Okay. Now that you've all been watered and fed its time for bed. First-years you can follow the prefects. Good night everybody." Dumbledore sat back down and resumed his conversation with Professor McGonagall. James pushed back from the table and stretched his hands over his head. He looked around and saw the first year Gryffindors gathering around two people near the doors. He, Sirius and Remus joined them. The three had become good friends after talking about Quidditch all through dessert. They followed the prefect up three flights of stairs to a painting of a fat lady in a lacy pink party dress.

"Password?" the lady asked peering down at the swarming crowd of students.

"Pumpkin Juice." The prefect said loudly so all the first years could hear. She turned around and faced them all. "Remember that all of you. Without the password you won't be allowed to get into the Gryffindor common room."

James walked through the opening in the portrait and stepped into a large stoned room. He saw two sets of stairs leading away from the common room. But the common room was a wondrous sight. A large fireplace took up three-quarters of one wall and positioned everywhere was cushiony armchairs, sofa's and loveseats. James saw the male prefect point to the left hand staircase and then pointed to the right-hand one. James saw Lily and her friend Henriette disappear up the right hand staircase. James saw Sirius and Remus beckoning him from the foot of the left hand one and made his way over.  
"This is the stairs to the boy's dormitory and that one is the girl's staircase." Sirius said helpfully.

"I'm dead tired. I'm going to bed. Night guys." Remus said attempting and failing to hide a wide yawn.

"Me too." James and Sirius said at the same time. The three went up to their dorm and opened the door. Inside was four four-poster beds and at the foot of each bed was each boys trunk. James flopped onto his bed and tried to remove his robes. Failing miserably he gave up and slid under the covers. He said goodnight to everyone and pulled the curtains closed around his bed. He fell asleep almost instantly.

'I can't believe it. Me. A Black actually got into a house other than Slytherin. Aren't mother and father going to hate this.' Sirius thought happily to himself as he was putting on his pyjamas. He winced when he remembered the lecture he had been given before he had been shipped off in the family car to Kings Cross Station.

"_Sirius Black if you do not get into Slytherin we will be very disappointed in you. If the hat asks you say you wish to be put in Slytherin or else. It would be a disgrace to the honourable name of Black if a son of ours did not make it into Slytherin. What with that Lord Voldemort rising to power. I wish him luck in ridding the wizarding community of those filthy mudbloods. Disgraceful to have them running around. Revealing themselves to muggles. Shameful. I expect you to be put in Slytherin Sirius or there will be dire consequences. Being put in Slytherin would be the only respectable and good thing you will ever have done for this family. You do remember that you were a mistake do you not Sirius. Slytherin House. That's my final words to you.' _

Sirius ground his teeth and threw back his head in silent laughter. How much he would give to see his parents faces when they found out he was placed in Gryffindor. He was sure Bellatrix would have written them by now. Evil ugly cow. Sirius jumped into his bed and pulled the curtains closed. Shutting his eyes he decided that he would worry about the parental situation tomorrow. Tonight he needed sleep.

Lily finished brushing her hair and teeth and walked back into her dormitory. She and Henriette were joined by three other girls, Anna Sims who had straight brown hair and dark blue eyes, Samantha Wilson, with her sun streaked blonde hair and dark green eyes the colour of moss. And Carrie Hope was the fifth girl, she had short black hair and amber coloured eyes. The five of them had already bonded and were on the way to becoming close friends. Lily walked over to her bed and sat down on it. She pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote her parents a short note. She then opened the cage of her owl Tweet and attached the letter to her leg then threw Tweet out of the window. She watched her fly away.

"So Lily. Are you a wizard born or a muggle born?" Anna asked popping a Bertie Bott bean into her mouth.

"Muggle-born."

"Me too." Chorused Samantha and Carrie.

"I'm a wizard born." Said Anna and Henriette.

"Well I'm really tired so I'm going to go to bed." Lily announced yawning widely.

"Night Lily."

"Night Lily."

"Night Lily."

"Night Lily."

"Night guys." Lily climbed under the covers and pulled the curtains around her four poster bed closed. Very soon she fell into a deep sleep.


	4. Sirius' Howler

Lily got dressed quickly and went down into the common room to wait for Henriette. She settled herself into a comfy armchair and ran a hand through her red hair.

"Hey Lily." A voice said from behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Sirius standing there smiling at her.

"Hey Sirius. How are you?"

"Pretty good. I'm waiting for James; he takes ages to get ready."

"Yeah I'm waiting for Henriette."

"So you should sit with us this morning? I'm probably gonna get a Howler. Trust me it will be funny. Most people get embarrassed, but not me. I reckon they're hilarious."

"Maybe. I gotta go. See you around Sirius. Say hi to James." Lily stood up and waved goodbye to Sirius when Henriette walked down the stairs of the girls' dormitory. Together they walked out the portrait hole and into the castle.

James ran his hand through his jet black hair and messed it up. He looked in the mirror and liking the reflection he saw he put his wand in his robe pocket and walked down to the common room where Sirius was waiting for him.

"Hey mate let's go."

"Took ya long enough. Lily said hi."

"Lily…"

"Evans. The girl you were sitting with on the train. Remember?"

"Vaguely. Let's go then. I think Remus is skipping breakfast and is sleeping in."

"Sure ok then."

They walked out of the portrait and made their way through the castle to the great hall.

James pushed open the door and walked in. He headed straight for the Gryffindor table and sat in a seat. He immediately piled his plate with sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs. Sirius sat down across from him and put two pieces of toast on his own plate.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Nah not really. I'm still kinda full from dinner last night. Plus I never really eat breakfast."

"Ok then. So show me Lily."

"That red head sitting with the girl with wavy brown hair and almost black eyes. Next to that kid that's in our dorm with us. Peter Pettiwew or something like that."

"Yeah I remember her now. She got into Gryffindor too hey? Good on her." James continued to eat his breakfast and looked up when he heard the hurried fluttering of wings. He saw hundreds of owls fly into the great hall and searched for his family's owl. Not seeing it he was about to go back to his food when he saw a pure black owl land in front of Sirius and gracefully fold it's wings and extend its leg. Curiously James watched Sirius tear off the letter and absently pat the bird on it's head.

"Who sent you a Howler?" James asked worriedly.

"One guess." Sirius tore open the envelope and his mother's shrill voice filled the great hall.

"_Sirius Black how dare you. I specifically demanded that you be put into Slytherin. If this is some prank you will undo it immediately. You being put in Gryffindor is shameful enough to our family. You should pay closer attention to Bellatrix. She listened to her parents and now look at her. She is upholding the family name and is a proud member of Slytherin house. I will say it once and once only Sirius. CHANGE!"_

The Howler folded in on itself and turned to ash. Sirius looked around him meeting the curious stares and then suddenly burst into delirious laughter. He was laughing so hard he clutched his stomach and fell off his chair. James looked down at him.

"Are you okay mate?"

"F…Fi….Fin…Fine. I'm…. Fine."

"Okay." James got passed his timetable and sat down to study it. "Sirius mate. You're timetable."

Sirius's head emerged from under the table his face bright red.

"Thanks."

"We have Transfiguration first. With Hufflepuffs."

"Cool."

James finished his pumpkin juice and got up from the table.

"I'm gonna go and get my books. I'll see you there okay?"

"Sure. I'll probably be along later."

James walked out of the great hall and up the main stairs.

"Pumpkin Juice." He said to the Fat Lady and she swung open to admit him into the common room. He quickly sprinted up the stairs and into his dorm. He gathered his Transfiguration books and went over to shake Remus awake. Seeing that his bed was empty James checked the adjoining bathroom. Remus was leaning over one of the toilets.

"Remus? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine James."

"Okay well are you sure?"

"Positive. Could you leave please this isn't something I really want an audience for."

"Okay. Well we have Transfiguration first in case you were wondering. I guess I'll see you there."

"Whatever James."

James walked down the stairs and collided with a loud crash with Lily Evans. Standing up he held out his hand to help her up off the floor.

"Thanks." Lily grabbed his hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Yeah well maybe next time you should watch where you're going."

"Pardon me?" Lily asked the beginnings of anger showing on her face.

"I said…"

"I heard what the bloody hell you said I just don't believe you would say it. It was you're fault anyway."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"WAS TOO."

"WAS NOT."

"WAS TOO."

"SHUT THE HELL UP." Remus shouted from the stairs where he stood shakily hanging onto the side of the brick wall for support.

"Remus are you okay?" James asked.

"I'm fine James."

Lily looked at Remus and then glared at James. She spun on her heel and headed up the stairs to get her books. She came thundering back down carrying her wand and her transfiguration books. James and Remus were nowhere to be seen and Lily walked out of the portrait hole only to crash into the back of James.

She was sprawled on the floor her books a foot away from her. She glared up at James.

"That's twice."

"That wasn't my fault."

"Maybe if you weren't standing in the doorway I wouldn't be on the ground."

"It's a free country I can stand wherever the hell I want too. And you are certainly not going to tell me what to do."

"Arrogant snob. I wonder why you don't take after your mother more. At least she was polite." She got to her feet brushed herself off gathered her things and walked down the hallway her head held high in the air.


	5. Lessons

She found the Transfiguration classroom and chose a seat next to Henriette. Henriette looked up at her and smiled.

"You don't look happy. What happened?"

"James Potter happened. He is such a stupid idiot. He knocked me down and then had the nerve to tell me it was my fault. Aarghh!"

"Settle Lily."

"Whatever." Lily pulled out her wand and focused her attention at the front of the class where Professor McGonagall stood her wand in her hand.

"Welcome to your first lesson of Transfiguration class. In this classroom you will learn useful, yet somewhat tricky spells. As some of them can be quite dangerous and complicated I will warn you now anyone I catch messing around in my class will be immediately excluded. Understood?" The class murmured they're assent.

"Good. Now first I would like you to copy these notes down." Professor McGonagall flicked her wand and three boards full of chalk words appeared in front of the students. They groaned and then started copying down the notes. An hour later the tired students walked out of the classroom.

"Well that was interesting. I didn't change my match though." Lily said crankily to Henriette.

"Aww poor Evans."

"Bugger off Potter."

"Now now Lily there's no need to be a bad sport just because I changed my match into a needle."

"Are you deaf Potter I said bugger off." Lily continued walking down the stairs to they're next class Potions. Lily walked in and chose a seat near the front. The seat next to her was quickly taken by Carrie. Lily smiled at her.

"I thought we could sit together so we can both stuff up together if we do."

"I probably will. I was never really good at cooking and Potions is sort of like it isn't it? Anyways we can look silly together." Lily hugged Carrie and turned to the front of the board where a tall blonde haired man stood tapping his ruler against his desk in a futile attempt for quiet.

"QUIET!" He finally shouted after five minutes of continuos chatter. The class settled immediately.

James looked up when the blonde haired teacher shouted and hurriedly put the dung-bomb he was about to throw back in the pocket of his robe.

"Welcome to Potions. My name is Professor Angelus and I will be your Potions teacher this year. Potions is very complex and a lesson that needs particular skill and attention to detail. In my class you will learn to make defence and attack potions as well as remedies and poisons that will be disposed of immediately. Now to start us off who can tell me what Friesian is mainly used for in potion-making?"

James noticed that the pale greasy-haired kid's hand had immediately shot into the air at the teacher's question.

"Yes?"

"Friesian is mainly used for making the potion change to a different colour and it also evens out the potion. Say if you added too much of one ingredient to a potion Friesian balances the ingredient."

"Very good. Ten points to Slytherin. Your name?"

"Severus Snape, sir."

James caught Sirius's eye and rolled his eyes. Sirius nodded and wrote a note that he chucked over to James when the teacher was writing on the board. James had just read the note under the table when "Severus" put his hand up. James' head jerked up quickly when the paper was ripped from his hands. Glancing up he saw Professor Angelus was standing above him reading the note.

"Detention Potter. No more passing notes in my class."

"Yes sir." James replied not feeling embarrassed. He looked over at Sirius and saw that he was eyeing Severus angrily. James surmised that it had been Severus that had told on him.

"Hey. Severus." Sirius shouted after Potions class. He saw Severus turn around and was pleased when he saw the hint of fear in his eyes. Sirius slung an arm around Severus' shoulder and led him harshly into an abandoned classroom. He pushed him onto a chair and leant down over him menacingly.

"So. Severus. You thought you could land James in detention and nothing would happen about it hey?"

"I don't want to talk to you. What you're doing is against school rules."

"Were only having a friendly chat Severus. There's nothing wrong with that is there?" James asked from the doorway.

"Stay away from me. I know more curses then you feeble-minded first years could ever imagine."

"You're a first year as well Severus so that was stupid. You just paid yourself out."

Snape pulled his robe out of his pocket and aimed it directly at Sirius's chest.

"Simapre Jext!" he shouted and a spell hit Sirius square in the chest sending him backwards into the blackboard.

"Get away from the door Potter or you'll be next." Severus shouted holding his wand in front of him like a shield. James had no other choice but to step into the room. Severus ran out and James ran over to Sirius. James looked down and saw that there was a large gash on Sirius's chest and blood was quickly oozing from the wound. James pulled Sirius to his feet and held on to his unconscious form supporting Sirius's whole weight. James slowly made his way into the corridor and looked around. He only saw one person. The short boy from his dorm. Peter or something. James searched desperately for anyone else but having no other option shouted for Peter.

"Hey Peter. Can you help me?"

"What?" Peter stared at James and Sirius's unconscious body before slowly walking over eyes still looking at the gash in Sirius's chest. Peter hooked an arm around Sirius's waist and helped James lug him up the stairs and towards the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey hurried up and immediately directed them to place Sirius on a bed. Having done so James and Peter were ushered out of the Hospital Wing and back to their Common room. James walked in silence staring at the ground.

'It's all my fault.' He berated himself in his head.

"I want to thank you." James said hoarsely and cleared his throat.

"That's alright. There was no one else to help you so I guess I had to step in. I could tell you didn't think I had that much strength hey?"

"No…I…um."

"It's okay James I understand." Peter told the fat lady the password and stepped quickly into the common room and went up to the dormitory.

Remus came up to James and looked quizzically at him.

"Where's Sirius?"

"Hospital Wing." James went and sat in a secluded corner.

"Why? What happened?"

"Snape attacked him. Stupid prick."

"I agree. But he'll be alright wont he?"

"Yeah I'm pretty sure he will be."

"Well I reckon I should go to bed. Night James."

"Night Remus."

Twenty minutes later James stood up and went upstairs to bed. He fell onto the bed and fell asleep instantly.


	6. First Night Food Fight Care Of Sirius Bl...

"I can't believe were finally back here again. It seemed so long ago that we left. Now we're third years. This is so cool."

"I can tell your excited Lily. I take it you didn't have a great holiday?" Henriette replied, smiling at her best friend.

"No way. My sister was a complete pain over the entire summer. She is such a bullying twit. I don't know how we can be related. I hate people who pick on people just because not what they want them to be. It's arrogant and disgusting."

"Yeah. Well the sorting ceremony's about to begin and my little brother Duction is being sorted. I hope he gets in Gryffindor."

Lily sat at the Gryffindor table and watched the sorting take place. When

"Lewis, Duction" was called Lily saw a little boy come forward who looked remarkably like Henriette. When he was sorted into Ravenclaw she applauded along with Henriette. Henriette leant over to her,

"At least it wasn't Slytherin."

"Very true." Lily smiled at Henriette. Her face darkened when she felt something wet and ball like hit the side of her face. She lifted a hand and felt what was unmistakably a spit ball. She looked around for the perpetrators and saw Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and the new member of their group Peter Pettigrew, trying hard to avoid Lily's eyes. In her book this was as sure a sign of guilt then if they had confessed personally. Lily removed the spit ball and threw it on the ground. She gritted her teeth and turned to Dumbledore who welcomed the students back and started the feast. After he had sat down and the food had arrived on the tables Lily turned to have a good chat with her friends. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and she turned around to see Charlie Kingston, a fifth year and the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team standing behind her smiling down at her.

"Hey Lily. Can we talk?"

"Hey Charlie. Sure." Lily followed Charlie to a secluded are in the Entrance Hall. "How were your holidays?"

"Pretty good. How about yours?"

"Pretty boring. But they usually are."

"Yeah don't I know it. Anyway I have to go but would you like to meet in the great hall Saturday morning and we can take a walk and then maybe go for a picnic."

"Sure. That sounds great. Bye Charlie."

"Bye Lily."

Lily returned to her seat and to the questioning smiles of her friends.

"Spill all Lily-kins." Henriette leant forward and propped her face on her open hand, staring intently at Lily.

"He asked me to go for a walk and a picnic with him on Saturday."

"Oh My Gosh. You are so lucky Lily. He is so dreamy." Anna was staring into space with a dreamy expression on her face.

"You think every guy's dreamy Anna." Samantha said smiling at the four other girls.

"True, true."

"Okay well dinner's over do you guys wanna go and talk about the holidays in our dorm room. I have such good news about Luke Jones."

"Luke Jones. That cute guy who used to go to your school?" Carrie asked intrigued.

"Yep." Samantha smiled knowingly at her friends and the five of them stood up together and practically ran all the way to the common room.

"Lily sure has gotten even prettier over the summer hasn't she James?" Sirius asked poking his best friend in the ribs. James looked up from where he was staring; Lily walking out of the Entrance Hall with Charlie Kingston, the Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

"Yeah she has." Remus answered for James who was still staring.

"How were your holidays James?" Sirius tried again.

"Yes please." James answered distantly.

"Ok weird." Peter whispered loud enough for Sirius and Remus to hear.

"This could be fun." Sirius said craftily rubbing his hands together and shooting his other two friends a mischievous look.

"So James how pretty is Professor Dumbledore?"

"I had a good holiday."

"Did you eat any slugs over the holidays?"

"Not my type."

"Are you a weirdo?"

"No, why would I?"

"Lily Evans."

"What? Where?" James came out of his trance when he heard Lily's name. Looking around at the grinning faces of his friends he turned slightly pink and dropped his head on the table.

"So Jamsie you have a thing for Lily huh?"

"Why would you think that?"

"We asked you if Dumbledore was pretty and you said "I had a good holiday," is that a good enough answer."

"Sorry I guess I'm just a bit distracted."

"By?"

"Lil… Um nobody in particular." James answered blushing and avoiding his friends' eyes.

"Yeah right James whatever. Well I'll change the subject just to save you from the humiliation you would face if I wasn't so kind and you weren't my best friend." Sirius said this with an aloof expression on his handsome face. "So have you all seen that second year Ravenclaw, the one with the curly blonde hair all the way down to her…"

"G-rated Sirius." Remus said interrupting Sirius.

"Um…Ahhh…Ooo...Butt." He replied after a quick thinking session.

"Yeah her names Sarah Daniels. She's alright." James said glad to be off the topic of Lily. Who he hadn't been able to take his eyes off ever since he had seen her on the train platform at Hogsmeade. And now she was out in the entrance hall talking to Charlie Kingston. James gritted his teeth and tried to focus back on the topic of hand. Which had progressed from Sarah Daniels to the girl who had a huge crush on Sirius; a second year named Molly Twittlewhich.

"Well she is only in, like, all my classes, 'cept Potions. She's everywhere. I can't get away from her. Look she's looking at me now." Sirius nodded his head in the direction of a slightly pretty girl with short brown hair and a wide smile on her slightly rounded face.

"Why don't you go out with her Sirius? Then she can see how bad you are and get over you." Peter put in looking at the large chocolate cake in front of him.

"Hey! I take offence to that. I'm not bad at all. Where would you get such a horrible thought like that from?"

"A group of third year girls were talking about it in the library one day. One of them was the girl you went out with last year. She said you were cheap and that you spent most of the time talking about yourself." Peter put in pulling the cake closer to him holding a sharp knife in his hand which he plunged into the side of the chocolate cake.

"What!" Sirius was looking stricken at his friends. Peter was still concentrating on the cake, not noticing the dilemma he had caused in Sirius. Meanwhile James and Remus were rolling on the floor laughing so hard they clutched their stomachs. Sirius's expression darkened and he pulled the cake from Peter's hands and cut two large pieces with the knife. Taking aim he threw two pieces at the figures rolling on the floor with mirth.

SPLAT! SPLAT! James and Remus quickly stopped laughing and leant on the table staring in amazement at what Sirius had done. James grabbed a pile of mashed potatoes from Remus's plate and threw the handful straight at Sirius. Sirius ducked and the mashed potatoes flew over his shoulder and landed with a SPLAT! On the back of a Hufflepuffs hair. The Hufflepuff boy turned around and stared in wonder at Sirius and the chocolate cake covered James and Remus, James's hand still slightly covered with white mashed potatoes. The Hufflepuff boy picked up a handful of rice pudding and aimed for the three boys. James and Remus ducked at the pudding came flying toward them and instead of hitting them it hit one person walking in a group of five. James turned around and felt his stomach roll. Lily Evans stood there rice pudding dripping down her forehead and rolling off the shoulders of her school robes. James heard Sirius cackle behind him and turning around quickly glared at him. Lily stood there shocked. Her face hardened and James thought she was about to cry until she turned around quickly and reached for a bowl of jelly that was on the Slytherin table. She pulled the spoon from the jelly and heaved spoonfuls at James, Remus and Sirius. Peter was still involved in his chocolate cake.

"FOOD FIGHT!" a sixth year boy with bright red hair and lots of freckles got to his feet and shouted hurling a handful of whipped cream that was on his plate.

The entire school started throwing handfuls and spoonfuls of desserts at other students in the Great Hall. The teachers were trying desperately to stop the fighting but ended up with dessert in their hair for their troubles. Finally Professor McGonagall stood up and shouted "Imobulus!"

James could move his eyes and looked around at the other students. He tried to laugh, but couldn't as his facial muscles were frozen, when he saw Sirius standing with his mouth wide open, his eyes rolling around desperately as a big dollop of strawberry ice-cream was inches away from his face.

"That is QUITE enough!"

"Perhaps I should take it from here Professor McGonagall." Professor Dumbledore stood up and glanced around. He had to hide a smile from breaking out on his face a number of times at the sight of the students in unusual positions and predicaments.

"200 points from each house and you will all stay behind. Except Mr Peter Pettigrew. Who seems to be still enjoying his cake." Everyone's eyes swivelled around to look at Peter Pettigrew who was still eating his chocolate cake. He had jelly in his hair and a pile of whipped cream on his shoulder but he appeared not to have noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Dumbledore unfroze everyone then conjured up paper towels, buckets of soapy water, mops and brooms.

"Have fun cleaning. Prefects will stay and make sure no other food fights start. Any student caught throwing food will have another 100 points removed from their house." James saw the headmaster's eyes twinkling with barely contained mirth. James picked up a sponge and got to work cleaning the Gryffindor table. He looked up and stared with mock hatred at Sirius.

"This is all your fault Sirius."

"Probably. But you two deserved it for laughing at me at something that isn't even true. Imagine someone actually saying that I am bad with girls."

"He didn't actually say that. He said she said you were cheap and stuck up." Remus put in holding a mop and cleaning up a sticky puddle of pumpkin juice.

"Would you like some more cake on you Remus?" Sirius asked sweetly holding up a piece of cheese cake, slightly flattened from being thrown.

"No thanks Sirius. I already have that flavour on me."

"You have to admit that was a memorable start to the third year." Sirius put in grinning at his friends.

"Very true."

"No talking you three. I know it was you three who started it." A Slytherin sixth year prefect stood behind James and Remus glaring at them spitefully.

"Cant prove it though can you?" Remus whispered under his breath.

The prefect walked away not having heard what Remus had said and the three friends cracked up laughing.

An hour later they walked through the portrait hole into the warm common room.

"I shotgun shower first." Sirius cried racing for the stairs to the boys' dorm.

"How can he start such trouble and seem so carefree afterwards."

"You had your own near run in with authority tonight Remus, whispering that to the prefect. Lucky he's practically deaf." James grinned at Remus's blush.

"Well he's weird so I felt I had to. Not a good excuse but the best I could come up with on short notice."

"POTTER!" James cringed when he heard Lily shout out to him as she came into the common room. He plastered a condescending smile on his face and raising one of his straight eyebrows turned to face the small redhead who still had food all over her. She came and stood toe to toe with James and he could smell the jasmine scent that surrounded her.

"Something wrong Evans?" he asked good-naturedly smiling down at the emerald green eyes that shot fire into his own deep hazel eyes.

"What the hell were you four thinking starting a food fight and chucking rice pudding all over me."

"Actually Evans you'll find that that was actually a Hufflepuff who threw the rice pudding not me. I threw the donut. Whoops!"

"That hit me in the nose. You suck Potter. Good aim though." Lily said and not smiling yet turned and ran up the stairs leading to the girls' dorm. James smiled and went up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. He banged on the door of the adjoining bathroom where Sirius was singing loudly along to a song on the small wizard radio that Remus had brought for them all last Christmas.

"Sirius you know you can't sing, so stop trying and get outta there so we can all have showers that don't make us freeze our ba…"

"G-rated James." Remus popped out from behind the door and smiled surely at James. James flushed.

"Showers that don't make us turn to icicles. Is that all right Remus. Safe enough?"

"Yep. Thanks."

"Ok darlings I'm out." Sirius breezed out of the bathroom wrapped in a blue terrycloth robe that barely reached his knees. The sight was too much for James who collapsed in a fit of giggles on his bed holding his stomach. Remus took the opportunity to race into the bathroom and lock the door. James sat up and yelped.

"REMUS. NOOOOO. IT"S MY TURN. BUGGER!"

James hammered on the door for awhile then gave up and grabbed a Quidditch magazine off the bookshelf and settled onto his bed to read, being careful to avoid getting any dessert on his bed.


	7. The Invisibility Cloak

"LUPIN! POTTER! BLACK!" Lily heard the loud, raspy voice of the Hogwarts caretaker Mr Denison shout from around the corner. The urge to see Potter get told off was too strong for Lily to resist and she peeked around the corner at the unusual scene in front of her. Mr Denison was standing in what appeared to be a deserted corridor shouting abuse at nothing but the absent forms of Black, Potter and Remus. Lily looked on puzzled.

"OMPHH!" Lily felt someone crash into her and she was knocked back onto the stone floor. She looked up but didn't see anything. She reached out a hand wondering if there was a ghost there. She encountered a silky material and grasped it. She gasped in surprise when the material was wrenched from her fingertips and she heard footsteps clatter down the hall away from her and Mr Denison. Quick as she could she got to her feet and darted down the hall towards the stairs that lead to the Entrance Hall. She jumped off the stairs and skidded to a stop in time to see the front door close by itself. She raced to the door and pulled it open. She ran out onto the lawn and looked around. She heard a noise over her shoulder and turned around in time to see James Potter appear from out of nowhere.

"Alright Evans?" he asked running a hand through his already messy black hair, his hazel eyes twinkling with laughter at her stunned expression.

"No Potter I'm not alright. I just saw you appear out of nowhere."

"Maybe you were seeing things. After that nasty bump on the head when you fell down…"

"And how the hell would you know that Potter when it appeared only Mr Denison and myself were in that area at the time?" Lily crossed her arms over her chest and glared knowingly up at James, whose stricken expression was almost too much for Lily. But she luckily held her laughter in.

"GOOD ONE JAMES. NOW SHE KNOWS." Sirius said loudly and angrily throwing off the invisibility cloak that was covering him and Remus. James slapped his forehead and turned to Sirius.

"Sirius you idiotic git. I could have come up with a story about casually walking past and seeing her fall on her butt. But no you had to come out from under the invisibility cloak."

"Whoops." Sirius face flushed and he started banging his head on a stone pillar that framed the castle doors. Remus pulled him away from the pillar and onto the grass.

"Look maybe we should take Lily someplace more private and explain the whole thing now that she… uh…knows." Remus said diplomatically. The four of them went out onto the middle of the Quidditch pitch and sat in a circle. Lily was next to James, James next to Remus and Remus next to Sirius. Lily looked around the small circle.

"Okay. So spill all now."

"Well… James you start." Remus said chickening out at the last minute.

"Why me! Ok then. Well the four of us, me, Sirius, Peter and Remus sneak around the castle under my dad's invisibility cloak. That's how some of the more complex pranks have been pulled off. But you have to promise not to tell anyone or we could get in serious trouble."

"Wow an invisibility cloak. That's so cool. Can I see it?" Lily asked stunned at the news.

Sirius pulled the silvery, slinky material out of the pocket of his robe and held it out to Lily. Lily ran the material through her fingers. She covered her hand with the cloak and was surprised when her hand disappeared. She smiled at the three anxious looking boys.

"It's okay you guys. I wont tell anyone." Lily looked at her watch and swore softly under her breath.

"G-rated Lily." Remus said shaking his head at her.

"What? Yeah ok whatever. I gotta go and meet Charlie. See you around guys." Lily got up, threw the cloak back to James and ran off the Quidditch pitch.

"I can't believe she's still going out with Charlie Kingston." James said angrily staring at the retreating form of Lily.

"Why not James. You're not jealous are you?" Remus asked slyly shooting a glance at Sirius.

"Jealous. Hell no. But he's no good for her."

"Who is then James?" asked Sirius.

"I don't know. But not him." He finished decisively.

"We'd better go too James. I still have to finish my History of Magic essay." Remus said pushing himself to his feet.

"Yeah and I have to go and meet Susie Date."

"Susie Date?" James asked. He was still trying to get over the fact that Sirius was so involved with girls. "Weren't you only on a date last night with Meaghan Wrong?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Don't even try James. Sirius doesn't understand the concept of trying to get to know someone before jumping in bed with them." Remus said shooting a look at Sirius.

"Whatever. All I know is that I have to go and get ready. I cant help it if all the girls think I'm irresistible." James started to laugh then quickly turned it into a cough when Sirius glared at him.

"Well lets let this Casanova get himself dolled himself up." James led the way back to the castle.

* * *

'I can't believe he actually has an invisibility cloak. That is so cool.' Lily thought to herself. She was lying on a bench in the library. 

"LILY! Earth to Lily." Charlie waved a hand in front of her face and Lily abruptly awoke from her reverie. She stared into the face of her boyfriend, who was now wearing an annoyed expression.

"Sorry Charlie. I didn't hear you."

"Is something wrong Lily. You don't seem like yourself."

"Nah I'm fine it's just studying is getting really boring."

"But passing all your exams is really important."

"I know. You told me that yesterday. But it seems the only thing we ever do is study. I want to do something fun."

"Well I don't really know. Studying is really important."

"Yeah. Anyway go on. I'll try and pay more attention." Lily lay back down on the bench, tuning out Charlie's voice every now and then. Her thoughts kept drifting back to James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. 'They always seem to have fun.' She mused.

"LILY!" Charlie slammed the book shut and chucked it on the ground. The heavy volume landed on the ground with a loud BOOM. Lily jumped up, her heart racing.

"What?"

"I can't take this anymore. I'm helping you prepare for a really important exam and all you're doing is daydreaming. I thought you would be really interested in this stuff. But I guess I was wrong."

"Look, Charlie. I have other things on my mind today. The world doesn't revolve around studying. I think I need a break. See ya later." Lily grabbed her bag and walked quickly out of the library. Charlie sat where he was, his mouth hanging open.

"Who is she kidding? Of course the world revolves around studying." He shook his head and then went to join his friends who were studying quietly in a corner.

'What did I see in him?' she asked herself as she walked angrily down the halls. 'Of course he's cute. But so are a lot of other guys. Like James. WHAT THE HELL? Did I just say James is cute? James Potter?' Lily stopped abruptly one foot poised to step onto the stairs leading to the Gryffindor common room. She shook her head to clear it of the thought. She said the password quietly to the fat lady and stepped inside. She ran up the stairs hoping to find Henriette or Anna or Samantha or Carrie. She slammed the door shut and immediately saw her three friends huddled around s crumpled figure on the floor. Lily ran over and knelt down next to her friends as they all rocked Samantha.

"What's the matter? What happened?" She asked anxiously. As a reply Henriette handed her a letter.

_Dear Miss Samantha Wilson,_

_It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that your parents, Mr Edward Wilson and Mrs Georgina Wilson were murdered tonight. The perpetrators are still at large, but it is reasonably safe to assume that the mastermind behind this act was one Lord Voldemort. We are very sorry for your loss._

_Signed,_

_Harry Humplewincher_

_The Ministry of Magic_

Lily read the letter through twice. She then threw her arms around Samantha and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry honey." She whispered in Sam's ear. The five of them sat like that for a long time. When Samantha fell asleep the four friends helped one another carry her to her bed. Lily's stomach grumbled loudly and she grimaced.

"I haven't eaten since breakfast. Would you guys be alright if I went and found some food?"

"Sure. That'd be alright. Would you bring me back something too?" Anna said rubbing her arms.

"Sure." Lily walked out the door and quietly pulled it closed behind her. She ran quickly down the stairs. When she walked into the common room she saw who she was looking for instantly.

"Potter?" she asked uncertainly walking up to him. He looked up at her, smiling. He was sitting with his latest girlfriend on his lap, a sixth year named Bea Quartz. He kissed Bea and pushed her off his lap. She walked away shooting Lily a dirty look. James stood up and stretched his arms high over his head. Lily tried to focus her attention on his face when his jumper rode up revealing a well formed torso.

"Want something Evans?" he asked yawning.

"Yes. I'm sure that you and your friends found the kitchens on your nightly sneak outs. Could you tell me where it is?"

"Hungry Lily?"

"Yes actually. I missed lunch and dinner. And my other friends missed dinner."

"Why?"

"I don't think I should be the one to tell you that. I can tell you one of my friends got devastating news from home. She's really upset. So can you help me please Potter?"

"Sure Evans. Let me just run upstairs and get my invisibility cloak. I'll be right back."

Two minutes later James came back down with a bulkier midsection. Lily raised her eyebrow.

"No one else should see it." James said matter-of-factly.

Together they walked out of the portrait hole and Lily allowed herself to be covered with the cloak. James held her arm to keep her completely covered and he led her down into the entrance hall. He then opened a door that led onto a short hallway. He walked to painting on the wall. A painting of a bowl of fruit. James tickled the pear and it turned into a door handle. James grasped the handle and pushed open the door. He removed the cloak and Lily stepped into a cavernous room filled with five long tables. Lily was sure that their positions would match their counter-parts in the Great hall. Four house-elves rushed up to her and Potter and bowed low.

"Good evening sir and miss. May we help you with anything tonight?"

"Yes please. Could we have some butterbeers, some roast beef sandwiches, a medium apple pie and some napkins." James said confidently. He led Lily to a seat at one of the tables. Very soon the house-elves rushed back to them carrying two trays filled with the requested food.

"Thank you very much." Lily said appreciatively smiling at the beaming creatures, with their bat-like ears and squashed tomato-like noses. They bowed low to her and James. Lily turned to James and saw that he had just slipped something in his robe pocket.

"Come on Potter. Better let you get back to Bea. Before she has a hissy fit."

"Yeah right and what would Charlie think if he found out you were sneaking around at night with me?"

Lily clammed up and pushed a tray into James's hands. Huddling close under the invisibility cloak, they walked in annoyed silence back to the Gryffindor common room. Lily saw Bea sitting in an armchair by the fire. She took the tray from James.

"Thanks for that Potter."

"You're welcome Evans. Tell your friend I'm sorry." He said absently as he wandered over to Bea. Lily watched him sit on the side of Bea's armchair and then be lean down for a passionate kiss. She shook her head in disgust and walked carefully up to her dorm.

'Bea is such a stupid idiotic prat.' She thought to herself. 'Wait a minute. She's never been mean to me. Why am I thinking that?' she walked into her dorm room and slammed the door behind her, momentarily forgetting about Samantha. She was reminded quickly by the annoyed looks and hushing she got from her friends. She apologised with her eyes and held the food out in front of her, as a peace offering. Anna, Henriette, Carrie and Lily devoured the food, while Samantha slept.


	8. Going Home

"Having fun Potter?" Lily asked sardonically as she and Henriette walked past Potter and Sirius washing the windows near the Hospital Wing.

"Bite me Evans." James replied not turning around.

"Watch it Potter. If you annoy me too much I might just take you up on that offer." Lily laughed when she saw James turn around an angry look in his eyes. "I'm just playing with you Potter." She said as she and Henriette turned a corner.

"I reckon she likes you Jamesie." Sirius said wiping his sponge across the window pane.

"Lily Evans has hated me since I don't know when."

"I talked to Henriette that time we went out and she said Lily doesn't hate you. She just reckons you're conceited and your life revolves around girls, Quidditch and yourself."

"Well that's good. I think."

"Not exactly something to base a relationship on." Remus said walking nearer.

"Hey Remus."

"Hey Remus."

"Having fun?"

"We already got asked that question. And someone already got told to bite me." James answered.

"Hope it wasn't a girl." Remus said guessing who it was.

"Well if you class Evans as a girl."

"Which you obviously do James."

"No comment."

"And all three of us know what that means. So what time are you two expected to be finished?"

"Dunno. When Denison tells us we can leave."

"So you'll be here for a coupla years."

"Probably."

Just then Dumbledore came around the corner talking to Mr Denison. He stopped in front of James, Sirius and Remus.

"How is that you three always manage to land yourselves in detention? Didn't you only get a detention last night?" he asked.

"It's a talent Professor." Sirius said honestly looking up at the headmaster.

"Well I think you two can go now. I need to speak to Mr Lupin."

"Sir?"

"Mr Denison will finish these windows when he next has time but tonight you two will go back to your common room and stay there. Understand?"

"Yes Professor." Not needing to be told twice James and Sirius threw their sponges in the bucket and raced off, waving bye to Remus.

"Wonder what that was about?" James yelled. He was in the lead, after having being challenged to a race to the common room by Sirius.

"Maybe he gets secret detentions."

"Sirius that is stupid even for you."

"Shut-up."

"You got a date tonight?"

"Nah. I need a break man. I've been out every night. How bout you?"

"Nah. I just broke up with Jess." James called back, looking over his shoulder. He ran into someone and fell onto the ground.

"Ha Ha now I win." Sirius shouted racing off. James shook his head and attempted to get to his feet. A slim, pale hand reached down to help him up.

"Hurt that big head of yours Potter?"

"What is it with you and me always literally running into each other Evans?"

"Just unlucky I guess." James stood up. He was still holding onto Lily's hand. He looked down and removed it quickly.

"I'm not that bad Potter." She said wryly.

"No your not are you Evans?"

"Definitely not."

"Off to see Kingston?"

"No. He and I broke up three months ago Potter. Of course I wouldn't expect you to know that. You being so involved with your girls, you're Quidditch and your detentions."

"Jealous Evans?" he asked shooting her his charming smile that worked on every other girl in the castle, except, it seemed, her.

"Keep dreaming Potter." She tossed over her shoulder. James jogged to catch up to her. When he reached her he jogged backwards so he could talk to her as well as see her face.

"Well where are you going then Evans?"

"Why do you care Potter?"

"I'm a caring guy."

"Sure you are. That's why you date four girls a week."

"What's wrong with that?" he asked.

"You really don't know?" she asked stopping abruptly.

"No." he stopped to and walked closer to her.

"Forget about it then James. See ya around." She swung into the girls' bathroom and James realised that that had been the first time in a long time that she had used his first name.

"Hey James!" James looked up and saw Sirius beckoning to him. James looked once more at the door to the girls' bathroom then shrugged and jogged off to Sirius.

'I can't believe he actually thinks it's alright to date four different girls in one week.' Lily flushed the toilet and walked out of the stall. She washed her hands and fixed her hair. She pushed open the door and checked that Potter had gone. She quickly walked out and headed off towards the entrance hall. She walked out onto the grounds and sat by her favourite tree near the lake. She stared across the water.

"Pretty sight isn't it." A soft voice said from behind her. She turned around quickly and saw Professor Dumbledore standing near her.

"You startled me Professor. Yes it is a pretty sight. This is the only place I can completely think without interruptions. That sounds silly."

"No it doesn't. Everyone has to step back and think hard every now and then, Miss Evans."

"Professor, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Do you think my parents are in danger?" she turned to face him, her expression grim and serious.

"In danger? Oh. I see. From Lord Voldemort. Let me tell you something Lily. Lord Voldemort was a student at Hogwarts. He was a very bright boy. He was then called Tom Riddle and he was even Head Boy. What he is doing now is a result of his anger and resentment towards his father. You see his father was a muggle who left his mother pregnant with him when he found out she was a witch. After his mother died Tom felt so alone and betrayed. His hatred stems from that betrayal and he is taking his feelings out on muggles and muggle-borns."

"That isn't an excuse Professor."

"I know it isn't. But we can not do anything about it. We just have to pray and hope. We must never give up hope Lily."

"I should go now Professor. My friends are waiting for me."

"Good-bye Miss Evans." Lily walked away, looking back only once and saw Professor Dumbledore settling himself on the rock. She ran all the to Gryffindor common room and collapsed, heaving for breath on a cushiony sofa. She relaxed, rested her feet on the small table in front of her and closed her eyes. Her breathing became regulated and she began to doze.

"Hey Lily. Can we talk?" She knew the voice. Lily groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Standing over her was James Potter.

'He looks like an angel.' She thought to herself. And it was true. The firelight at James's back cast an ethereal glow around him and made it seem as though he was glowing. His face was soft and he smiled down at her with that disarming smile that had made her feel faint ever since her second year. And was it her imagination or had he just called her by her first name.

"If you want too." Lily sat up, removed her feet from the table and hugged herself. She turned to James when he sat next to her. She smiled patiently at him.

'She looks so pretty in soft light. Hell she looks pretty in any light.' James thought to himself. He sat next to her and leant back, propping his feet on the table.

"So. I wanted to ask you to finish the conversation we were having this afternoon. About me dating four girls a week?"

"Umm… I don't really know what to say to that Potter."

"And another thing. You called me James."

"And you called me Lily."

"Yeah well I thought I'd return the favour. So back to our previous conversation. Why do you think it's wrong to date that many girls in one week?"

"Why? James are you really that daft. Sure you're having fun. But what about those girls. They spend months wanting to go out on a date with you, then it happens and they like it and they think that you like them too. Then they walk into the Great Hall for breakfast and see you with your arm around another girl. How would you feel?"

"I got a bit lost there."

"I have a friend in second year. She's not in Gryffindor and she went on a date with you. She said she thought you really enjoyed it and that you would ask her out again, and then she saw you with another girl. Do you know how much that hurt her?"

"Obviously not. But… I mean… I can't limit myself to one girl. That isn't fun."

"What's fun isn't always right James." Lily shook her head and rose from the sofa.

"Wait." James grabbed her wrist and held her still. He rose and let go of her wrist. He looked down at her and she looked up at him. James started to lean in.

"Lily! You have a letter." Carrie called from the stairs. Lily's head jerked up and she cast a glance over her shoulder. Seeing the grin on Carrie's face she turned away from James.

"Good night Potter."

"Good night Evans."

Lily ran over to Carrie and past her up to the dorm. On the headboard of her bed Tweet was perched.

"Tweet. I only sent you yesterday." Lily gathered her owl up and hugged her quickly. She then allowed Tweet to perch on her shoulder while Lily untied the letter from Tweet's leg. The letter was from her father. Lily could tell that from the handwriting. She sat on her bed and read the letter. When she got to the end, she sank to the floor, stunned. Carrie seeing this quickly went to Lily and plucked the letter from her friend's hand. Reading through it she hugged Lily.

"I'm sorry sweetie. You want me to come with you to Professor Dumbledore?"

Mute, Lily could only nod. Carrie helped Lily to her feet and putting an arm around her waist led her from the room. The letter floated onto Lily's bed.

_**Dear Lily,**_

**_I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this in person sweetie, but your mum's had an accident at work. She's in a coma. I understand if you want to come home immediately. I'll have Mr Heinz from next door drive you to the hospital when you get home. I love you Lily-Flower. Hope to see you soon._**

_**Love always, **_

_**Dad**_

Sirius came down the stairs looking for James. He found him sitting on a sofa near the fire. Sirius sat down next to him and stared into the fire.

"So what happened?"

"Evans reckons I upset a friend of hers by going out with her once and then going out with another girl the next day. I don't know what her problem is. I'm fourteen I'm supposed to be having fun, not looking for the person I'm bloody well going to marry." James said angrily turning to face Sirius head on.

"Yeah?" Sirius said thoughtfully.

"Yeah."

James looked up when he heard a commotion near the stairs to the girls' dormitory. He looked up and saw a throng of people surrounding Lily and her friend Carrie.

'The one who interrupted our almost kiss.' He thought to himself.

He got up and wandered over. Carrie was supporting Lily with one arm around her waist and the other trying to shove her way through the crowd.

'Lily looks ready to collapse.' He thought and moving quickly parted the crowd. He stepped up to Lily and Carrie and put his arm around Lily's waist supporting her weight on him. With help from Sirius; who parted the crowd, they made it out of the common room. James stopped outside the portrait hole.

"What's the matter Evans?" he asked nonchalantly, while on the inside he was worried as hell. He was slightly annoyed when Carrie answered instead of Lily.

"If you wanna help me get her to Professor Dumbledore without a lot of meaningless and unnecessary chit-chat then your welcome to help, but if not blow away Potter."

"I want to know what's wrong with Evans." He said stubbornly setting his chin.

"It's none of your business Potter." Carrie replied just as stubborn as James. James, Carrie and the silent Sirius were surprised when Lily spoke in a harsh voice to them all.

"I'm fine. I don't need any support. I'm perfectly capable of going to the headmaster's office. And if you really must know Potter, which it appears you must, I'm going home."

"Home? Why?"

"Not forever Potter. Just until my mum gets better. Then I'll be back."

"Your mum? I'm sorry Evans."

"Me too Potter. Now seeing as I have the guidance of the two people most likely to know where the headmasters office is could you show me please? I really want to get home."

"It would be our honour as troublemakers Evans." Sirius bowed, acting as a gentle man and offered his arm to Lily. Lily laughed softly, and then her expression darkened as if remembering a particularly horrible moment. Sirius escorted Lily to Professor Dumbledore's office with Carrie and James following them silently. Sirius removed his arm and pointed to a statue of a Griffin. Lily looked at him uncertainly.

"The password's Gummy Bears." James put in.

"Ok then. Gummy Bears." Lily was a little apprehensive, but the password seemed to work as the statue moved aside to reveal a set of carved stone steps that twisted as it took its course upwards.

"Thanks for all your help you guys." Lily said and stepped onto the stairs. James and Sirius watched as the statue closed over Lily and Carrie walking up the staircase.


	9. Lilys' Back

James pulled the handle of his broom back slightly, making himself rise slightly to get a better vantage point of the Quidditch pitch. He looked around for the snitch and noticed that Sarah Fuorgets was closely watching him at the same time as watching the pitch for bludgers. Spotting a tiny glint of gold James zoomed closer to get a better look.

'Yes! That's it!" he pulled his broom handle down and dove stretching his arm out for the snitch. The roaring of the crowd pounded in his ears, and he blocked out all other movement except the movements of the tiny gold snitch. His hand closed over the snitch and he pulled his broom straight so that he was hovering 20 feet in the air. He pumped his fist triumphantly and grinned charmingly at the crowd.

"Yeah. Alright James."

"Good going mate."

He looked around and saw that Sirius and Remus were flying towards him on their own brooms. He was pounced on by his friends and the rest of his team mates and he felt the gravity pulling him back to the earth. When he landed he stepped up and cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindor house that had run screaming onto the pitch. He was enveloped in a swirling, squealing mass of fans and admirers. He felt himself being lifted onto someone's shoulders and he allowed himself to be carried to the changing rooms. He jumped down, handed the snitch to Madam Hooch and walked into the changing rooms. He stripped off and stepped into the showers. He wrapped a towel around his lean waist and ran his hands through his hair to shake the water out. He carefully dried himself off and then shrugged back into his robes. It was just before lunchtime, so as he walked back up towards the castle, to stop off and grab something to eat. He pushed open the heavy doors to the great hall and walked quickly over to the Gryffindor table smiling at the whistles and cheers from all houses except Slytherin, who they had just beaten. James sat down next to a friend of his in fifth year and reached for a cold sausage. Hearing a commotion at the doors of the great hall he looked up and what he saw took his mind off everything happening around him.

'She's back.' He smiled at Lily Evans. She was walking closer to him and he couldn't help himself when she came right behind him on the way to her seat in the middle of the table.

"Hey Evans."

"Hey Potter. I heard about your game. Good catch."

"Thanks Evans. Listen tell me if it isn't my place but is your mum alright?"

"My mum?"

"Carrie told me."

"Yeah. She's alright. She came out of it three days ago. The doctors said she should be alright."

"That's good. It's great to see you again Evans."

"Yeah? Surprisingly it's great to see you again too Potter." Lily smiled and patted him fondly on the head, then continued on the walk to her seat. James glanced up when Sirius, Remus and Peter sat down next to him clapping him on the back and congratulating him.

"Keep this up James and the girls will be after you more then me. I don't like the thought of that."

"Yeah right Sirius. Even if they did come after me, I'm not really interested in dating anyone at the moment."

"Yeah? Why not?" Remus leaned forward crossing his forearms and resting them on the table.

"Got a girlfriend you aint telling us about James?" Sirius asked mimicking Remus.

"No. I just don't feel like dating anyone."

"What if Lily asked you out?" Remus asked raising one eyebrow grinning slyly at James.

"Then? I don't know maybe I would then, but no one else."

"Aww isn't that sweet Potter has a thing for Evans." James turned around and saw Severus Snape standing behind him. He snarled, raising one side of his lips to reveal his teeth.

"Bugger off Snivellus."

"Why should I Potter. It's a free castle."

"You wont be in this castle much longer if you don't go away now Snivellus." Sirius spoke, dangerously quiet and menacing.

"You're girlfriends watching Potter." Snape tossed his head in Lily's direction. James looked over and locked eyes with hers. Hazel meeting emerald green.

"Silly mudblood doesn't know what she's getting herself into in this world."

"Shut up Snape." James rose to his feet and went to stand toe to toe with Snape; glaring hatefully into his eyes.

"POTTER! SNAPE! Sit down right now!" Professor McGonagall shouted out pulling them apart. James settled for throwing a goblet in Snapes face and then sat down.

"Potter." Professor McGonagall stood over him. He looked up at her with years of perfected innocence shining in his eyes. She stared at him for a long time then looked away.

"15 points from Gryffindor."

She walked back to the Head's table and sat down staring down at her plate.

"Good one James. But I would've punched him." Sirius said gnawing on a chicken leg.

"Good for you Sirius." James rested his head on his hands and stared down at the table.

"James? Are you alright?" Peter asked anxiously.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just feel a little bit sick."

"Okay. Well there's a party after this okay? Sirius planned it already."

"Yeah. I don't think I'll stay long though."

"But… you're the man of the hour."

"Yeah mate, the party's in your honour." Sirius sounded hurt and James looked up at him.

Okay well I'm done eating. Do you want to start early?"

"Yeah. Wooooo. PARTY!" Sirius pumped a fist in the air and ran screaming out of the great hall. Remus, Peter and James followed more slowly.

Lily walked into the common room, looking around at the place she hadn't been for five months. She walked around trying to familiarise herself with the room while trying not to get stepped on or crashed into by the partiers that filled the Gryffindor common room. She grabbed a butter beer off a table near the fireplace and sipped. Nursing it she walked over to join her friends. They were gathered around a small table in the corner whispering about something.

"Hey guys what youse doing?" she smiled when they quickly turned around and covered up the parchment they had been perusing.

"Lily! Oh this is just… nothing." Anna stuffed the parchment into her robe pocket and grabbed the butter beer out of Lily's hand.

"Hey!"

"There's more. Could you get me another one?"

"Me too."

"Me too."

"Me too."

"I'll help you Lily." Henriette offered threading her arm through Lily's.

"So Lily. Tell me how was life."

"Pretty crappy considering. Especially since I had to stay at home with Petunia. She got herself a boyfriend. He is the ugliest, biggest guy I have ever seen."

"Biggest. Are we talking height or width?"

"Width." Lily looked up at her friend and broke into laughter. "Oh my God it was so gross. He didn't simply eat food, he inhaled it. It made me lose my appetite."

"I thought you looked skinnier." A voice said over her shoulder. She turned slightly and saw James standing there smiling down at her.

"I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment Potter." She said gathering three butter beers in her hands.

"A compliment, well it was supposed to be. I think. I don't know. You aren't going to drink all of those are you Evans?" he asked gesturing to the butter beers with his own bottle.

"No Potter, I'm not. These are my friends. By the way where are your's?"

"Around." He gestured vaguely. Lily raised an eyebrow at him and patted him on the shoulder as she made to pass him. He followed her over to her friends. Seeing her friend's looks she turned around and found that she was toe to toe with James Potter.

"Can I help you Potter?" she asked politely, but her friends and James noticed the steel in her tone.

"You would help me if you would dance with me. Just once before I go to bed. Please?"

"Alright Potter. Just once." Lily turned and handed her drink to Henriette. She took James offered hand and allowed herself to be led to the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the common room. The beat of the song changed and Lily suspected James, or one of his friends had something to do with it. The song playing was a soft one that had the rest of the couples on the dance floor move closer into each others arms. James wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her softly towards him. She put her arms around his neck and rested her head genially on his chest.

"I know you planned this Potter." She said quietly.

"Planned what?" he asked to her hair as her face was still resting sideways on his chest.

"The music. The dance. The song. You asked me for a dance and you know I expected a fast one, but you somehow made the music change as soon as we stepped on the dance floor."

"What would happen if I admit that I did have something to do with it?"

"absolutely nothing. I don't mind dancing a slow song with you Potter." Lily looked up and for the second time that day they locked eyes. Lily angled her head and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Something's changed about you Potter."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Something I cant quite put my finger on."

"Then don't try. Just dance with me." James pulled Lily even closer and rested his head on hers. Lily closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into his chest. James sighed. The song ended and James and Lily reluctantly let each other go.

"Thanks for the dance James."

"You're welcome Lily."

Lily grasped his hand for a short time smiling up at him then let go and made her way over to her friends. James sighed and walked away. He was standing near the stairs when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Sirius and Remus standing there grinning at him.

"So James. Did you like your dance?" Sirius asked wriggling his eyebrows at James.

"Very much. And now I wanna go to bed."

"And dream about your dance?" Remus asked shooting another sly look at James.

"No Remus to dream about Lily."

"Should've known." Remus nodded. "You two make a cute couple." He wandered away when a girl called his name.

"I'm going to bed."

"Jamesssssssss…." Sirius whined trying to tug James back into the centre of the action.

"No Sirius. Night."

"Alright. Alright. Goodnight. Boring." James watched Sirius walk away and looked over at Lily again. She was laughing at something her friend had said and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and sipped her drink. James walked upstairs to his dorm and got dressed for bed. He slipped into the sheets. Performed a silencing spell around his bed just in case Sirius and Remus decided to bring girls upstairs and rested his head on his pillow. He thought about Lily. And then he fell asleep still dreaming about Lily.


	10. Head Boy and Head Girl

* * *

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend Darlene, also known as Banshee Queen. Yeah she asked me to dedicate a chapter to her because she said she would dedicate a chapter of her parody to me. So go read her parody because it is good. I also want to dedicate this chapter to my other friend, Maree, who forced me to put this story on. But anyways. Review if you want to, I dont really mind.**

* * *

Lily Evans opened her letter and sat down heavily on the arm of the lounge chair. One thought ran through her head over and over.

'_I'm Head Girl!'_

Lily shrieked and raced off to find her parents to tell them the good news. Her mother had gotten better after her accident two years earlier, yet still needed a walking stick as her right side was affected by the injury sustained.

"MUM! DAD!" Lily shrieked running around the first floor of the house. She found her parents sitting in the gazebo in their back yard drinking a pot of green tea. Emmet Potter abruptly put down his cup and rose when he saw Lily racing towards them, a sheet of paper clutched in her hand.

"Lily? What's wrong?"

"Nothing Dad. Absolutely nothing. Everything is absolutely and totally… Perfect."

"What happened?" Lily's mother asked gesturing her daughter closer for a hug.

"Well this is my last year at Hogwarts. And each year a seventh year girl and a seventh year boy get chosen as sort of like school captains. They're called Head Boy and Head Girl."

"How original." Lily's dad muttered wryly. Lily mock glared at him.

"Congratulations Lily." Lily smiled at her mother, pleased that she had figured it out already.

"Oh. You're Head Girl are you Lily-Flower?" When Lily nodded her dad enveloped her in a hug and ruffled her hair. "Congratulations."

"Thanks dad." Lily hugged her mother and was sitting down next to her when Petunia walked outside.

"Mum. Dad. Weirdo." She shot Lily a death glare then smiled lovingly at her parents.

"Petunia don't call your sister that."

"Sorry mummy. I have wonderful news."

"What? You finally got rid of Vernon." Lily asked hopefully glancing at Petunia. Vernon had visited practically everyday since Lily had returned home for summer vacation.

"No idiot. He asked me to marry him. And I said yes. Mummy I'm engaged." Petunia laughed loudly and displayed the tiny diamond on her ring finger. Lily sat back in her chair stunned.

'Petunia's getting married to that… thing. Oh my God. He's going to be my brother-in-law. Ewwww.' Lily smiled at Petunia and rose to give her a congratulatory hug. She froze when Petunia leant down to whisper in her ear.

"He doesn't know about you freak. I don't want to lose him so no funny business until after we're married. Got it?"

"Got it." Lily gritted her teeth.

"Well I think this calls for a celebration dinner. How about we go to a restaurant. Petunia you can call Vernon and invite him as well. Lily would you like to invite one of your friends?"

"She doesn't have any friends." Lily heard Petunia whisper under her breath.

"No thanks Dad."

"Alright then. Well go get ready while I make a reservation." Lily walked slowly around the garden, stopping every now and then to smell the flowers. She was staring at the ground when something made her look up. In front of her was the large oak tree her father had put a swing in for her when she was 8. She sat down on the swing and pushed off. She went up, then down, then up, then down.

"LILY! Are you ready yet?" Lily got off her swing and ran toward the house to get dressed.

Lily saw Vernon rise when she walked into the restaurant. He was wearing a black evening suit that only accentuated his bulging mid-section.

'Nothing like James'.' She thought to herself then smiled at the thought of Potter. On the train home he had been talking to Lily as they walked along the corridor together. Suddenly a door had opened outwards and he had gone sprawling on the carpeted hallway. Lily had laughed so hard before she could offer her hand to help him up he had risen to his feet himself and was standing there his cheeks flaming. She had then put her arm on his shoulder and apologised. Then she had been called by her friends and James by his and so they'd said goodbye and walked off.

"Lily?" she started out of her reverie and saw a waiter gesturing at a chair for her. She allowed herself to be seated, tucking the pale green dress, decorated with roses and ferns under herself and smiled around the table beautifully.

"Hello Lily." Vernon smiled at her, but Lily could see that though his mouth was smiling his eyes remained hard and flat. She returned the smile, ensuring that her eyes remained as cold as his were.

Lily tuned out her parents, her sister and Vernon as they started in on the pleasantries and the plans for the wedding. Lily looked around the fancy restaurant, and her face broke into a wide smile when she saw Carrie sitting at a table with her family. Lily interrupted Vernon and excused herself from the table. She wound her way through the restaurant and smiled when Carrie looked up and spotted her. Lily mouthed the word "Bathroom" to Carrie and walked off towards the bathrooms. Five seconds later as Lily was washing her hands Carrie walked in and pulled Lily into a hug.

"Hey Carrie. It's so good to see you again."

"Lily. It's great to see you again. I've missed you all so much." Carrie and Lily sat on a bench in the bathroom.

"So Lil, what's new with you?"

"My sister's getting married."

"To the blowfish?" Carrie was referring to the nickname Lily had come up with for Vernon.

"Yep."

"Sadness for you. What else?"

"I'm Head Girl."

"What? Congratulations. I always thought you'd make an excellent Head Girl. Congratulations. Don't you wish you had some butter beer to celebrate with?"

"Thanks Carrie. I've missed you so much. Now, what's happening with you?"

"Well nothing much. Not as exciting as a wedding or Head Girl. I went to Diagon Alley and saw James, Sirius and Remus. James asked me about you." Carrie glanced up trying to see what this would mean to Lily.

"Did he? That's nice."

"Yeah? He thought it was nice when I told him you got back together with Charlie."

"What! Carrie! How could you."

"So you do care about James Potter."

"I didn't say that."

"You're face did Lily. And don't worry I just told him that you'd written once and that your summer had sounded boring so far. I didn't say anything about Charlie."

"Good coz there's nothing to say."

"I know."

"Well I should get back to my family. I don't want to but I should. Ooo. You can see what Vernon looks like. Go outside quickly and look over near the door at the table of four. You can't miss them my sisters wearing a lemon yellow dress."

Carrie walked out and five seconds later came crashing back into the bathroom trying to hold back laughter. She collapsed onto the bench and held onto Lily's shoulder for support while she practically cackled with laughter.

"I should go. Now you know why the Blowfish is called the blowfish."

"Yep I do. I need a minute to compose myself. When I wave meet me in the bathroom and we can say goodbye properly okay Lil?"

"Ok. See you on September 1st Carrie." Lily walked out and slid back into her seat in between her parents. She saw that her food had been ordered for her and she tucked into the plate of salad and saffron rice with spiced chicken. After dessert Lily saw Carrie waving at her. Lily quickly excused herself and walked to the bathroom. She and Carrie said goodbye and walked out of the bathroom together. Carrie rejoined her family and Lily rejoined hers.

* * *

"James! Sirius! Your Hogwarts letters have arrived." Mrs Potter shouted up the stairs. Sirius Black had been living with them since the start of school in sixth year when he had run away from home. She heard thundering footsteps on the stairs and surmised that they were racing. Two boys came racing into the kitchen. Her son stood at 6"3 with a lean build like his father, yet more muscular than his father had been. His hair was as untidy as ever, she suspected that this was a ploy that all the girls fell for and his hazel eyes, almost the exact replica of hers shined with laughter and excitement. The other boy, her adopted son she had joked often, Sirius Black stood taller at 6"5 and lean and very muscular, his hair was black and cut shaggily; probably by Sirius himself, yet the look gave him a debonair charm that only Sirius could achieve. His warm chocolate eyes reflected much the same look as James' and his mouth was now curled into a smile. 

"I won!" Sirius declared doing a victory dance.

"No way! I totally kicked you're a…"

"James Potter!" his mother warned in a cautioning voice.

"Sorry mum." James sent his mother a charming look and hugged her quickly.

"Here you go, take a cookie as well." Mrs Potter handed James and Sirius their respective letters and a chocolate chip cookie each. She watched as the two best friends walked out of the kitchen chattering away with mouthfuls of food. She turned back to the task of mending James and Sirius's robes.

"Yeah!" she looked up as she heard the shout of joy from upstairs and rose to her feet when she heard feet thundering down the stairs for the second time that day. James ran into the kitchen his face alight with joy and displaying a shiny badge in his hand.

"What?" James' mother looked mystified at her son and the badge in his hand.

"Mum. Dumbledore made me Head Boy."

"You?"

"Why do you sound so surprised mother?" James asked a hurt look flashing over his face.

"Well of course I'm surprised James. You and Sirius and Remus would have to be the biggest trouble makers in Hogwarts history and now you go and make Head Boy. But I am very proud of you." She pulled James into a giant hug.

"Thanks mum."

"Yeah thanks Mrs Potter. It is a great compliment to be acknowledged as the biggest troublemakers." Sirius ruffled his hair and sent a cocky grin at James' mother.

"Your bad Sirius Black. I think this calls for a celebration dinner. What do you boys want?"

"Chocolate cake!"

"Yes, I knew you would say that but I meant before dessert Sirius. James?"

"Lasagne?"

"Roast chicken?"

"How about Roast chicken lasagne?"

"Sounds good." Two voices replied in unison.

"Okay you two go relax. James, your dad should be home in two hours, then you can tell him the good news."

"Sure mum."

Mrs Potter heard the footsteps racing up the stairs and returned to the mending.


	11. Spur Of The Moment

**Okay guys I will start writing disclaimers at the top of my story. If I remember... Anyways so you know what I am going to say. I dont own anything at all related to Harry Potter. Any characters are mine and if you want to use them I dont mind at all. I think I will dedicate this chapter to my friend Emdogg. Yeah she knows who she is. So thats all and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Lily pushed open the Head compartment door and walked inside. The compartment was decorated in pale cream and gold.

'I guess it doesn't want to be selective about the Head Boy and Girl's houses.' She settled into a seat and waited for the Head Boy to come in. She was growing impatient and was tapping her fingers against the sill of the window. The door slid open and her mouth fell open. James Potter stood in the doorway, with his hair even more wayward then it had been last year; if that was possible and his hazel eyes taking in the compartment. Lily gulped when she noticed the Head Boy badge on his robes. James eyes landed on her and his customary charming smile broke out on his face.

"Hey Evans."

"Hey Potter. Congratulations."

"Huh?" he asked staring at her.

"For making Head Boy?" she replied gesturing to the badge on his chest. He looked down and smiled then looked up at her and the smile remained on his face.

"Thanks. I guess congratulations are in order for you as well. Good job Evans."

"Thanks Potter."

"So I guess we'll be spending a long time with each other this year hey Evans. So do you wanna go out with me?" he raised an eyebrow and sent her a cocky look that she was sure she had seen Sirius use more then once.

"Thanks for the offer Potter, but I'm on a hiatus from dating at the moment."

"A hiatus?"

"A break."

"Oh… Why?"

"Why? Do you wanna go out with me Potter?" Lily asked standing up and staring at him directly in the eyes. James took a step back at the intensity of the look Lily was sending him and the response he had on the tip of his tongue that he knew he would get slapped for.

"You know I've always liked you Lily."

"You? James Potter?" She arched a perfect eyebrow.

"Yes."

"What do you define 'like' as James?" she asked sitting down and crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well I guess it's wanting to spend time with a person."

"Good one. So you're saying that you wanna spend time with me?"

"Yes."

"James do you remember second year? When you cursed my quill to write insults and swear words all over my charms essay?" James lowered his head and stared embarrassed at the ground. He nodded.

"Its okay I forgave you for that. But I'm still not going to go out with you."

"I really like you Lily. I was so jealous the whole time you and Charlie were going out."

"Me and Charlie?"

"Yes." He stared up at her and Lily could see that he wasn't lying. She sighed.

"James…" she ran a hand through her hair and let it settle around her shoulders." I think we should do what the instructions tell us to do and then we can leave and sit with our friends."

"Whatever Lily."

James sat quietly across from Lily while she read out the written instructions thoughtfully provided by Dumbledore. She finished and felt the train move under her. She stood up and James stood up across from her. The train jolted and Lily stumbled forward. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the fall but didn't feel anything but strong arms wrapped around her torso. She looked up and saw James staring down at her, his arms around her. She smiled up at him then disentangled herself.

"Thanks James."

"Well I couldn't just let you fall now could I Evans?"

"Yes… well. I'm going to go and patrol and then I'll be sitting with my friends if you need me Potter." James watched as she slid open the door and walked out of the compartment. He sat down and rested his feet on the table. He was thinking about her. The way her hair had fallen across her face and how she had pushed it back with a deft hand then returned to reading. And how the scent she wore; something flowery with a hint of vanilla had drifted across the divide between them and enchanted him, the way her emerald green eyes would catch with his own hazel ones and then she would blush slightly and look back down. He cursed himself for being so wrapped up in Lily Evans and rose to his feet to go and find his friends. He was halfway down the train when he heard a commotion from a compartment just ahead. He pulled out his wand and slid the door open quietly. Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange stood with their wands outstretched pointing them at a group of five 1st years.

"Hello, what's going on in here?" James asked advancing inside the compartment. Lucius, Snape, Bellatrix and Rodolphus all turned around, almost identical sneers on their faces.

"Potter." Lucius sneered at him. "Come to protect the ickle first years. I see you made Head Boy. Pity you won't have a chance to do anything while you are in the Hospital Wing."

"Why that sounds like a threat Malfoy."

"It is Potter. You and your stupid idiotic friends. Always playing pranks on us Slytherins well you know something Potter, one day you will pay for it at the hands of Lord Voldemort. He has the right idea, killing off all the muggle-borns and blood traitors. You're a blood traitor Potter, going after that mudblood Evans. She's on our list as well."

"Am I really Malfoy? That's nice, you're on mine too. You top it as Most In Need Of a Makeover." Lily stood in the doorway surrounded by Henriette, Carrie, Anna, Samantha, Remus and Sirius, all with their wands drawn.

"Don't do anything you'd regret now Evans." Bellatrix stepped forward her wand pointed straight at Lily.

"Don't worry Black, I wont. EXPELLIARMUS." Lily shouted so suddenly that Bellatrix was knocked off her feet as her wand flew from her hands into Lily's. The first years ran screaming from the compartment as Lily, James and their friends battled with Malfoy, Snape and Lestrange while Bellatrix lay huddled on the floor. Lily got hit by a spell that made her fly backwards out into the corridor and slam heavily into the side of the train. James rushed out after her and knelt down next to her smoothing back the hair from her forehead. He looked up in time to see their friends shout simultaneously,

"PETRIFICUS TOTALLUS."

James tried not to laugh when he saw Snape, Malfoy, Rodolphus and Bellatrix fall to the ground stiff as boards. He saw Sirius, Remus, Henriette, Samantha, Carrie and Anna high-five each other then walk out of the compartment.

"Lily." Henriette rushed over and knelt over her friend. The rest of Lily's friends crowded around her and James stood up and stepped back his spot instantly filled by Anna. Henriette muttered a spell under her breath and Lily's eyes fluttered. James felt relief wash over him when Lily opened her eyes and squinted up at her friends. Sirius clapped a hand on James' shoulder. Remus sighed next to James. Anna and Carrie helped Lily to her feet and James watched as she swayed for a second then clutched at her head, her friends still supporting her around the middle. James stepped forward and reaching down pulled Lily's head up and stared deep into her eyes. She looked up and grimaced in pain. He held up three fingers.

"How many fingers?"

"Three."

"Okay. That's all I know. So I guess you don't have a concussion. Wanna go sit down?" he asked kindly. She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her back to her compartment. He helped her onto a seat and she lay back shutting her eyes. She leant over and rested her head on his shoulder. He placed an arm around her and rested his head on top of hers. They stayed that way the whole ride to Hogwarts, their friends whispering around them.

Lily woke up with a start. The train had stopped moving. She felt warm and safe and… arms around her and someone resting on top of her head. She carefully opened her eyes. Wincing at the light she saw her friends watching her. She tried to unwrap the arms from around her. She felt the embrace lessen and she looked up into the face of James Potter. She felt her face flame. She had been asleep in the arms of James Potter the entire ride! She stood up quickly and ran a hand through her hair. As she did she winced. She lifted a hand and tenderly rubbed the big bump on her head. Her mind flashed back to the fight with Bellatrix, Malfoy, Snape and Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Thanks James." Was all she could manage to say before she walked quickly out of the compartment. Sirius shot James a questioning look and shrugged. Lily's friends followed her from the compartment. James rested his head in his hands and sighed loudly.

"If you could be an Animagus what animal would you be?" Sirius asked out of the blue.

"Sirius… What are you on about?" James asked raising his head to stare in wonder at his best friend.

"I was just thinking about it… I don't know what I would be."

"A dog?" Remus drawled.

"Maybe, but only if I was a handsome dog that all the girls want to pet." Sirius cockily winked at his friends.

"What about you James?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. I always liked the stag. It seems so powerful and it protects its family really well."

"And you're really protective James." Sirius replied nodding.

"And you Remus?" Sirius asked turning to Remus.

"I don't know a wolf would be pretty cool. Being part of a pack and every kid's howled at the moon."

"So I can be a dog, James a stag, Remus a wolf and Peter… Where the hell is that boy? He's always disappearing lately." Sirius asked angrily, clearly upset that he and his friends weren't Peter's idols anymore.

"Peter can be a rat." James said his eyes laughing. "I know this is mean to say but he looks like one don't you reckon?"

"Yeah he does sort of hey?" Sirius cackled loudly and in three seconds was rolling around on the floor in hysterics, tears practically rolling from his eyes.

James suddenly jumped to his feet.

"Crap I was supposed to help Lily work out the carriages and things." He ran out of the compartment. Sirius and Remus looked at each other and cracked up laughing at the fearful expression that had been on James' face.

"I'm really sorry Lily." James said as he ran up to the petite red head. She turned around and noting the panic on his face decided to soothe.

"It's alright James. You can help me now."

"Yep. So what do I do?"

"Make sure only four people get into each carriage."

"I can do that. So afterwards do you want to ride in a carriage with me?"

"Okay James." Lily rushed away and stopped a group of second years from squashing into a carriage. James walked around helping every now and again, answering questions.

'This isn't so bad. Kids look up to you. This almost as good as when I win Quidditch.'

James and Lily finished sorting people into carriages and were about to climb into one when Sirius and Remus came racing towards them.

"Hey can we share with you two?" Sirius asked out of breath.

James shot him a dark look, but Lily had already said they could so he had to squish over. Lily sat opposite him, Remus sat next to her and Sirius sat next to James.

Lily had just sat down next to Henriette when the first years walked in. She smiled at them as they passed her. After the sorting and Dumbledore's welcome back speech in which he had announced her and James as the new Head Boy and Head Girl, Lily finally got the chance to talk to her friends.

"How could you guys let me fall asleep on James' shoulder?" she asked barely raising her voice above a whisper but her friends could detect the hint of anger.

"We couldn't help it Lily. You just leant over and went to sleep. And James' wouldn't have let us move you, even if we had wanted to." Anna was the unlucky one chosen to answer Lily's question.

"Why not? I'm sure James Potter would rather have been running around the train snogging all his girlfriends than worrying about me being alright."

"Lily do you really believe that?" Henriette asked raising her eyebrows at Lily.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Lily are you really telling us you don't know how James Potter feels about you? He's looking at you even as we speak." Henriette threw her eyes towards the opposite end of the table. Lily looked up and her eyes connected with the hazel eyes of James Potter. Lily looked away quickly.

"So what? This is James we're talking about. He dates four girls a week. I want to date someone who actually cares about the way a girl feels not just uses them for their own pleasure."

"Lily, James hasn't dated anyone in a year; he's always staring at you, if I didn't know any better I'd say the boy is in love."

"Whatever." Lily ignored her friends for the rest of the meal, choosing to stare at the table angrily or look around the hall noticing people she hadn't seen before. When Dumbledore dismissed them Lily rose to her feet and proudly sauntered off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, ignoring the calls of her friends. She gave the password to the fat lady and walking inside slumped into an overstuffed armchair in front of the fire. Lily noticed that there was now a third staircase in between the boys and girls staircases. She suspected that that was for the Head Boy and Head Girl. She rose to her feet just as her friends and the first years came through the portrait hole. She stood in the middle of the room staring at her friends. Then she burst into laughter and ran for a hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm a little emotional at the moment."

"It's okay Lil, we forgive you, but you can't hide from him forever." This time Samantha spoke.

"I'm not hiding from anyone. So I was thinking maybe we could have a sleepover in our old dorm tonight?" she asked hopefully looking at each of her friends.

"No Lily."

"Please?" she tugged on Anna's arm, knowing that she was the softest of her friends.

"Sorry Lily I'm with the rest of them you have to talk to James sometime."

"I don't know what to talk to him about. What if I just fall asleep in the common room?" she threatened.

"Then you'll look like an idiot when you wake up in the morning with drool coming out the side of your mouth."

"I don't drool."

"It can be arranged."

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me."

"Henriette that's so mean. Fine, see you in the morning please wait for me to come down."

"Okay, but you have to talk to him."

"FINE!" Lily shouted then turned around and raced for the staircase. She got upstairs and found that she was in a separate common room. She looked around and saw that it was a slightly altered version of the common room downstairs.

"Pretty cool hey Lil?" James voice whispered over her shoulder. She turned around quickly and collided into James' chest. She hadn't known he had been standing that close. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away softly.

"Yeah it is pretty cool. Which dorm do you want?" she asked trying to keep her voice calm and level.

"You choose."

"No you choose."

"No you."

"I'll choose." Sirius shouted up the stairs. Lily walked over and saw all her friends, plus Remus and Sirius standing at the foot of the staircase staring up at them.

"Come on up if you want to. I'm sure it can't be any fun craning your necks for a better view." She offered wryly.

"No thanks I think we'll stay down here." Remus answered catching the tone of Lily's voice and dragging the group of friends away from the foot of the stairs.

Lily turned back to James and saw that he was staring at her again.

"What?" she asked, self-consciously running a hand over her face and hair and clothes.

"Nothing." James smiled at her then raced up the left hand staircase. Lily followed slightly slower. When she got there James was on the floor chucking things into a small cupboard near the door. She looked down at him. He looked up at her and grinned like a kid at Christmas time.

"I'm sure you're mother wouldn't appreciate finding that you threw all your folded clothes in there like that." She said pointing her wand at the mess he had already made of his cupboard. The clothes flew back out, folded themselves neatly then stacked themselves in his cupboard.

"Thanks Lily."

"You're welcome James. I'm going to go check out my own room."

She walked through a door that led off his room to a meeting room in between their rooms and into hers. The Gryffindor colours dominated and she saw that someone had put her moving picture of James, Remus, Sirius, Anna, Samantha, Carrie and Henriette on the wall. She walked over and studied it. It had been taken in fifth year when she had started getting along with James. It had been the Quidditch final and Gryffindor had just beaten Slytherin and James, Remus and Sirius had flown over to her and her friends and magically conjured a mass of balloons, crepe paper and confetti to float over the girls. Then one of the Gryffindor beater's had taken a photo of them all laughing and throwing confetti at each other. Lily smiled when she saw herself throw a large balloon and hit James in the face. She grabbed her camera and ran into James' room. He was lying on his bed reading a Quidditch magazine. She raised the camera.

"Say Cheese James." She snapped the picture just as he looked over at her a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"What was that for?" he asked shutting the magazine and jumping off the bed.

"Spur of the moment. I just wanted a picture of you when you weren't posing for the camera."

"I never pose." He was towering over her grinning charmingly down at her. Lily's smile disappeared from her face and she gulped. It took all the power she possessed not to lean up and kiss James at that moment.

"You always pose." She said, upset that her voice was barely above a whisper.

James leant down and brushed his lips with hers. Lily felt a jolt somewhere in her stomach and she kissed back. The kiss was soft and gentle and Lily was for some reason scared. She backed away and stared up at James. His eyes were serious and intense on hers. She turned abruptly and raced for her room. She heard him call to her but she continued until she threw herself on her bed. She closed her eyes and was trying to pretend that the kiss hadn't happened. She didn't sleep well that night with the black haired, hazel eyed boy dominating all her dreams. And in the room nearby the black haired, hazel eyed boy was having trouble of his own with the red haired, green eyed girl dominating his dreams.


	12. Fighting

* * *

One week had passed and Lily had ignored her friends and James, choosing instead to talk and sit with Sirius and Remus and some fourth year friends she had. She was walking down the hallway towards the dungeons for Potions when she ran into the back of someone. She looked up; an apology on her tongue.

"Watch where you're going Mudblood. Now I'm going to be late for class. I have to go and disinfect myself. The mudblood touched me." Severus Snape's stood in front of her, his sneer firmly in place. It took all of Lily's energy and strength not to punch him in the nose. Instead she sighed wearily and ran a hand through her hair.

"Ten points from Slytherin Severus."

"Whatever Mudblood."

Lily walked past him and stood staring into the distance outside the Potions classroom. Five minutes later the teacher opened the door and ushered them inside. She sat at an empty desk and put her bag on the chair next to her to deter her friends and Potter. This stopped anyone from sitting next to her but her friends crowded around the tables in front of and behind her. James and Sirius sat at the desk next to her and Remus and Peter at the desk in front of them. Lily stared straight ahead only smiling at Remus when he turned around.

"Okay class today we will be making a love potion. The ingredients and the method are on the board. Go to work and once they are made bottle some, stopper it, label it and hand it in to me. We will test it next class." Professor Angelus walked around the classroom answering questions and making notes in his mark book. Lily avoided everyone's questions and quietly and competently made the potion, bottled it, stoppered it, labelled it and handed it in. Then she cleaned up and laid her head on her bag.

"Lily?" James asked gently touching her arm. This only resulted in her turning her head in the opposite direction. James sighed, dropped his head and went to finish his Potion. The bell rang and James tried to talk to Lily again but she walked fast out of the class and was lost in the swarm of kids.

* * *

Later that evening James was sitting in the library attempting to do his Transfiguration homework, but his mind kept slipping back to the way Lily had turned away from him in Potions. He sighed and threw down his quill making Sirius look up at him, one eyebrow raised.

"What's up Prongs?"

"Lily."

"Oh right. So hows that going?"

"Don't ask stupid questions Padfoot. It isn't going anywhere. I thought she wanted me to that night I kissed her. Now she isn't talking to her friends or me. I don't know what to do."

"I can talk to her."

"Rub it in why don't you."

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant I can talk to her and find out the dirt. Find out why she's doing this and maybe change her mind."

"That would have to be the smartest thing you have ever come up with Padfoot; in regards to women of course."

"What about that plan in fourth year to charm Emily Frank with the singing roses."

"Except you forgot to remove the bees."

"Right."

James laughed and picked his quill up again. Lily stood hidden in the shelves, holding her books tightly against her chest.

'Well if Sirius thinks he's going to get me to spill he has another thing coming.' Lily thought to herself determinedly. She checked out the books and made her way back to her dorm room to read. As it was really cold in the room she made her way downstairs with a blanket and a book. She sat in front of the fire quietly reading. She had gotten so involved it took a second to register the fact that people were coming up the stairs chattering. She closed her book and shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She could tell the instant that James and Sirius saw her. It went quiet. But what she least expected to hear was what James whispered.

"She looks so beautiful. Especially in the firelight. Hell she looks pretty in any light."

"Make me puke why don't you Prongs."

"Shut up Padfoot. Come on lets go before she wakes up." Lily heard footsteps racing up the stairs and when she heard James' door slam she slowly opened her eyes and stared into the firelight. One thought was going through her head.

'Potter thinks I look beautiful in any light.'

She sighed and rested her elbow on the arm of her chair, propping her head in her palm. Fifteen minutes later Sirius came walking down the stairs. Lily hurriedly pretended to be sleeping again.

"The plans sure to work." He whispered to James.

"Maybe. Talk more tomorrow. Night."

"Night." With her eyes closed she heard Sirius walk down the stairs and into the common room. Lily was hardly breathing not knowing where James was. She soon found out. She felt something brush across her forehead. Then she felt strong arms wrap around her. She allowed herself to be carried upstairs to her bed and when there be tucked in. She pretended to sleep and opened her eyes when she heard James walk out of her room. She lay awake thinking.

* * *

"James can we talk?" James heard a quiet voice behind him the next morning at breakfast. He already knew who it was and was already smiling when he turned to face Lily Evans.

"Sure Lily."

"Um… privately." She said looking at the ground; embarrassed to avoid the smirks she was sure were plastered on Sirius', Remus' and Peter' faces. When James stood up she walked out of the great hall and down the corridor until she found an empty classroom. She gestured him inside then shut the door and put a silencing charm on the room. James was perched on a desk looking at her charmingly.

"Stop it James." Lily whispered dragging a hand through her hair, something she only did when she was majorly stressed and something she found she was doing more often since becoming Head Girl with James Potter as Head Boy.

"Stop what Lil?" Lily looked up and saw a puzzled expression on James' face.

"Stop liking me. Stop staring at me all the time. I already explained what's happening."

"Ah yes, you're hiatus on dating. And what if I told you I can't stop liking you or staring at you?"

"Then I'd curse you."

"Would you really?" James asked smoothly getting off the desk and approaching Lily. Before she could stop him he was holding her arms and raising her face so they could look each other in the eyes.

"Are you telling me that you didn't feel anything the other night Lily?"

"James…"

"No. Just tell me that you didn't feel anything when I kissed you. And if you didn't like it why did you kiss me back?"

"I don't have an answer for that James." Lily wriggled out of his hold. "I know what you do when you go out with girls, you use them for one or two days and then you dump them. I don't want to get hurt James."

"And you know for a fact that I would hurt you?" Lily made the mistake of looking up at James' face and felt pain when she saw the hurt on James' face and in his eyes.

"I don't want to find out." She whispered.

"So what do we do know. You know I like you. You know I want to go out with you. So what would be so bad if we went out on one date?"

"What would be so bad? How about I could get hurt when you dump me for another girl. How about this affecting our friendship, you and I both saw the after effects of a kiss. And it could damage the way we work together as Head Boy and Head Girl." Lily wished to be anywhere else in the world after saying that and seeing all the emotions fly across James' face.

"You really think all that about me?" he asked staring deep into her eyes.

"Maybe."

James made for the door; Lily spun around and felt sick to the stomach.

"We can still be friends cant we?" she asked, feeling stupid afterwards. She didn't expect an answer and didn't get one. She stared around blankly and climbed onto a seat and covering her face with her hands sobbed out her pain.

James stormed back into the Great hall, his face clouded with pain and anger. When he sat down next to Sirius, Sirius remained silent, knowing that even the slightest badly-worded comment could set off a James temper tantrum, the likes of which Hogwarts has never seen. Henriette came up behind Remus and looked down at James' face. Taking a chance she asked him about Lily.

"I don't know where she is now nor do I care."

"Well where was the last place you saw her?" Henriette was pressing knowing that if James' looked like this Lily would look ten times worse.

"Third classroom down the hall off the Entrance Hall."

"Thanks." Henriette rushed out of the Great Hall, followed by Anna, Carrie and Samantha.

"What happened James?" Remus asked hoping that the storm had passed.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay then, maybe some other time." Remus replied closely examining James and though James was very good at hiding his emotions, Remus could tell that whatever he and Lily had talked about, the outcome had not made James feel very good.

* * *

Later that day James was walking through the common room and saw Lily holding a pillow and a blanket and walking up the stairs of the girls' dormitory. He sighed and knowing that they had to work things out, so that they could work together as Head Boy and Head Girl. He walked up the girls' staircase and knocked on the door marked "7th Year". It was quickly opened by Henriette. She stared at James for a second, then stepped back and invited him inside. He walked in and saw Lily sitting on a bed with the rest of her friends.

"Lily? Can we talk?" She looked up at him, surprise and shock registering in her eyes. She nodded mutely and slid off the bed. She followed him out into the hallway and stood straight and looked him straight in the eyes.

"About today…" he started then not knowing where to go from there self-consciously mussed up his hair.

"I'm sorry that I said all those things James. I didn't mean to hurt you. Really I didn't." Lily said quietly avoiding his eyes.

"And about what you said. I think we can be friends. I still like you and nothing you say or do is going to change that, but I will try to stop staring."

"Thanks James."

"You're welcome Lily. So can I ask what's going on in there or is it like a secret girlie ritual?"

"Something like that." Hearing a noise at the door behind her she held a finger to her lips and walking quickly forward grasped the doorknob and pushed the door open. Four muffled thuds and squeals of pain could be heard from inside the room. Lily pushed the door open wider and saw her four friends on the floor. She cracked up laughing and waving goodbye to James walked into her old room and shut the door behind her. James laughed once and then went downstairs to seek out his friends for a long prank-planning session.

"I want to hold a Yule ball. Like last years." Lily declared to James one evening when they were working on tasks and rosters for the prefects.

"You're kidding me right. Those things are painful."

"No they're not don't be silly."

"I'm not being silly. You do remember I was the one who spent three days after that damned thing in the hospital wing with concussion."

"You wouldn't have had a concussion if you hadn't invited two different girls to the ball." Lily replied in a saccharine voice.

"That is not a reasonable excuse to throw a crystal punch tumbler at someone's head."

"You ducked the tumbler you didn't duck the fist."

"Right. I forgot that last part when the lights went out."

"Whatever. You won't get a concussion this year if you don't try to be a player."

"Okay okay we can have a ball. All the guys are gonna hate me."

"Come on, you cant tell me that guys dislike dancing slow songs with a girl."

"That parts fine. I think its more the getting dressed up and having to actually ask the girl to go with you."

"Well… what about we have a dress-up Yule ball. With a theme of some sort."

"What do you mean?"

"Like say we have a ball and the theme is Famous couples, or Favourite sports stars."

"That actually sounds like a good idea."

"Thanks."

"So let's get down to planning this thing."

"Okay. We'll need streamers, balloons, food, pumpkin juice, prizes."

"And we need to get Professor Dumbledore's permission." James put in, proud of himself for thinking of the most important part of the ball's success.

* * *

Okay so that was another chapter I'm sorry it took so long to post it but I sort of forgot about it what with work and school stuff. Anyways I hope you like it.


	13. The Yule Ball

* * *

"Come on James, the ball starts in twenty minutes and I said I'd meet Cheryl-Ann out front before it started." 

"Sirius, how do I look?" James asked coming into the Head's common room in his outfit. He was wearing a white tuxedo; his shirt was pale green and highlighted the green in his hazel eyes. His usually unruly hair was covered with a little bit of grease to give it a slicked back and edgy look. He was supposed to be James Bond. He had seen that movie once when he was younger with his late uncle and had liked the idea of a devilishly charming spy who always got the ladies. Sirius was wearing what appeared to be a bed sheet, tied over his shoulder, the gaps in the sheet allowed glimpses of his sculpted body and he wore a crown of twisted gold on his head.

"Let me guess Caesar right?" James asked

"No. That Homer guy from the Simpsons."

"Right whatever. Are you ready to go?"

"Yep. I was waiting for you to fix yourself up so that you look perfect for lovely Lily."

"No Sirius, we're just friends."

"Right. So you got a date for tonight Prongs?" Sirius looked over at James and saw the flash of anxiousness in his eyes.

"None of your business Padfoot. Where's Moony meeting us?"

"Near the refreshment table. His words not mine, I would have just said meet near the food and alcohol."

"There is no alcohol Padfoot."

"Not that you know of anyway."

"Sirius." James cautioned though he wasn't all that upset at the thought of washing down his misery of not being able to be Lily's date with something alcoholic and numbing. But he valued their friendship too much to have asked her to go with him. James walked down the stairs chatting companionably to Sirius. He and Lily had agreed to meet in the downstairs common room. So James waited near the foot of the girls' dormitory for her. Sirius was staring around checking out some fourth years who weren't allowed to go. Henriette came down the stairs first. She was wearing a tight black, leather cat suit. James looked at Sirius for his reaction and laughed at his friends' wide eyes and open mouth.

"Don't drool now Sirius. She already has a date." James reminded his friend who clamped his mouth shut and watched as Henriette went to stand next to a tall sixth year boy who was on the Quidditch team with him and James. Anna came down next dressed in a green floaty gown that stopped just below the knees and was slit everywhere so she could move. Next came Carrie and Samantha together. They were dressed identically and claimed that they were twins from an ancient eighties television show that only the muggle borns would know. Lily's friends all found their dates and were standing around waiting for Lily to come down. James stood and stared as she descended. She had her long red hair curled and her gown was a pale gold colour that suited her skin tone and her eyes. The neckline was square and cut just above her cleavage, showing off her long neck and pale skin. The dress was cut close to her body at the torso then splayed out from the waist to form a wide arch around her feet. She was wearing a strand of creamy black sea pearls. It took his breath away. Lily came down the last few steps and laughed to herself at the stunned expression on his face. She curtsied enjoying herself. James bowed and she looked him over.

"Let me guess…" she started taking in his tuxedo, his slicked back hair and his cocky smile. "James Bond?"

"Right. Are you a princess?"

"Ariel." She replied spinning around.

"Ariel?" he asked. His vision was filled with her and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't take his eyes off her smiling face.

"The Little Mermaid."

"Don't mermaids usually have tails?"

"I'll tell you the story on the way down. Are you ready to go?" She asked hooking an arm through his and leading him towards the portrait hole. Looking over her shoulder she saw Sirius watching Henriette closely. Lily and James led the way down to the Great Hall.

* * *

"So she wanted to meet Eric, but knew that she couldn't as a mermaid so she made a deal with Ursula, this cruel half octopus-half woman who was after her fathers trident. So she got changed to a human and this whole drama followed. But she and the prince got together in the end so it all worked out for the best." She finished just as they stepped into the great hall. She let go of his arm and spun in a circle to capture the room from every angle. 

"This is so pretty."

"You're pretty." James couldn't stop himself from blurting out. She slowly turned towards him and smiled prettily.

"Thank you. But no more of that talk. We talked about it. We're just friends."

"Yeah I know. Excuse me would you; I have to go and have a chat with Sirius and Remus. He shoved his hands in his pockets and slowly made his way over to his friends. Remus and Sirius were both with their dates. Remus had asked a short brunette with stunningly deep blue eye and Sirius had asked a tall blue eyed blonde with lots of curves. James admired both their choices but decided that Lily was the most beautiful girl at the ball. Sirius and Remus managed to disentangle themselves from their dates when James stepped in front of them.

"How goes it Prongs?" Remus asked craning his neck to get a better look at the back of his date.

"Not that good."

"Hey at least you're here with her." Sirius said; copying Remus' movements.

"Technically I only escorted her."

"Whatever. Have you tried these mini sausage rolls? They're delicious."

"You think all food is delicious Sirius." James laughed, grabbing a Butter beer from the table.

"Too true."

James looked up and locked eyes with Lily who was watching him intently. He felt his anger spark when Lucius came over to her and sneered in her face. James saw Lily's' face harden and her hand shoot out. She stalked away, leaving Lucius clutching his cheek. James watched as she stalked out of the main doors.

He quickly set down his drink and walked after Lily. He found her on a bench in the courtyard near Greenhouse 1. Without saying a word he slipped out of his jacket and slipped it around her shoulders. He then sat down next to her and stared out at the darkened lake.

"Why did you follow me James?" she asked her voice strained.

"Why shouldn't I have? We're friends aren't we?"

"Yes James we're friends."

"What happened Lily?" he asked moving closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She struggled. "Friends hug." He heard her sigh and knew that he had been successful.

"Malfoy is such a conceited a…"

"G-rated Lily." Remus popped out a window and shouted down to them. James turned around and flicked him off.

"Don't mind him. Keep ranting it'll make you feel better."

"He said it would serve me right if I went home for the Christmas holidays and found my family gone. So I slapped him. He deserved. I should have kicked him in the b…"

"G-rated."

"Shut up Remus." Lily and James shouted in unison.

"So do you wanna go back in now?" he asked softly.

"No. I think I want to stay out here a bit longer. You can go in if you want too."

"Now would James Bond desert a damsel in distress?"

"No I guess not." Lily replied laughing for the first time.

"Agreed. So why didn't you kick him. It would have livened up the evening."

"And I would have gotten a detention."

"But then I would have gotten one so we could do time together." Lily laughed at his serious tone.

They sat like that for a long time, his jacket and his arm around her and her head leaning on his shoulder.

After the students had been dismissed James and Lily went inside. Lily removed James' jacket and held it out to him. He took it and shrugged back into it.

"Thanks for everything James." Lily started feeling embarrassed.

"No problem Lils. What are friends for?"

"Aww isn't this a sweet Evans and Potter moment. Who has a camera?"

"Bugger off Black." Lily gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the derisive remark from Sirius' cousin.

"I don't have to Evans. Tsk Tsk Potter I thought you'd have better taste then a mudblood like Evans. You being pureblood and all. You could have made something of yourself."

"I like where I am right now Bellatrix and I don't want that title on me. I may be a pureblood but that doesn't matter to me or to Sirius, everyone here is a witch or wizard and that's the only thing that counts."

"No. Muggle borns have no place inside these walls and one day none will have the chance to learn magic." Bellatrix curled her lip and walked out of the great hall.

"Sorry about that Lily."

"It doesn't bother me James. It isn't the first time I've been called that and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"It would be the last time if I could help it."

"But you can't James. It's sweet that you want to but you can't change people's thoughts and views." She grabbed his hand and they walked out of the great hall and upstairs to the Gryffindor common room. When they got to their own private common room Lily leaned up to give James a peck on the cheek.

"Night James."

"Night Lily." She turned around and was starting to walk away when James grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He stared down into her eyes.

"Lily. I really want to kiss you goodnight. Not like friends. I'm asking your permission, but believe me you don't know how hard it's been these past few months trying to get over my feelings for you. So I'm asking you for a favour, just once." Lily looked up and saw the pain in James' eyes and nodded slowly. She watched as the pain lifted, clearing his hazel eyes and watched intently as they changed and deepened to a dark brown colour. He bent his head and softly, gently brushed his lips over hers. She grabbed a hold of his arm for balance as he deepened the kiss. The kiss seemed to last forever and when James pulled away he was short of breath. He looked down at Lily and saw regret in her eyes.

"Happy now James?" she asked softly.

"Nope. Worse. Much worse." He sighed and mussed up his hair, gave her a friendly hug and ran up the stairs to his room. Lily walked up to her own room and quietly got ready for bed. She was standing in front of the mirror studying her reflection carefully. She slowly ran a fingertip over her lips; still warm and slightly bruised from the kiss. She saw a sparkle in her eyes. She went to her bed and lay down crossways on it staring up at the ceiling not really seeing it. In her mind she ran over all the kind words and sweet gestures James had shown her since sixth year. Standing up quickly before she could change her mind she grabbed her robe and put it on. She quickly walked through the meeting room that joined their rooms together and knocked softly. A few seconds later James pulled open the door. He stood there surprise on his face.

"Lily are you okay. What's wrong?" he asked concern displayed on his face now, replacing surprise. Before she could stop herself she had leant up on her tiptoes and had placed one hand on James' cheek. The next thing she knew she was passionately kissing him. She felt him freeze for an instant then his arms came around her waist and she was being drawn inside his room. She felt the bed move under her but was so involved in the kissing she didn't think anything of it. Their tongues tangled together, tasting each other. James' hand cupped the back of her neck, bringing her closer to him. She pulled away for an instant for breath, but was just as quickly brought back to him. This time it was him who pulled away.

"Lily. Why are you doing this?"

"Because James Potter I have liked you ever since you asked me what was so wrong about dating four girls in one week. Then you almost kissed me. I couldn't tell you any of what I felt. It would have made me feel stupid. But I do want to be with you James."

"So you're lifting your hiatus?" he asked hopefully.

She laughed at the expression on his face and nodded.

"I guess you could say that. But just so you know where we stand James. Nothing. Absolutely nothing is going to happen between us in** _that _**kind of way. Understand?" she asked eying him seriously. He nodded. Then pulled her back to him for another passionate snogging session.

* * *


	14. Jobs

* * *

Lily was searching for a book in the library before the upcoming NEWTS test, when she heard a slightly familiar voice from behind her.

"Hey Lily. How are things with you?" She turned around and saw Charlie Kingston, her ex-boyfriend standing behind her smiling. She smiled politely.

"Fine. What are you doing here?"

"Just doing some interviews for the Ministry. And missing you like crazy." He stepped closer and she took two steps back.

"I don't think that's a good idea Charlie. I have another boyfriend now."

"Ah…Yes… You and Potter. I heard rumours about that. Do you actually expect me to believe you would rather have a trouble-making prat like James Potter as a boyfriend then me?"

"Yes actually I would rather have James then you. At least he knows how to have fun sometimes." She had a dangerous gleam in her eye. Charlie held his hands up and smiled impertinently.

"Sorry. I didn't know that you really care for that prat."

"James is not…" she broke off when she felt someone drape an arm around her shoulder. She looked up at James. His mouth was smiling but she could see that his eyes were alight with anger. She draped an arm around his waist and leant in closer.

"Don't get mad and do something you'll regret James." She whispered in his ear. He smiled down at her, the anger lifting for a second, but was replaced just as quick when he turned back to Charlie.

"Nice to see you again. Not so nice to see you with my girlfriend." He said frostily.

"Is that the best you can come up with Potter?" Charlie replied, just as frostily.

"No I could hurt you… but I wouldn't want you being embarrassed that you got beat by someone two years younger."

"I know a lot more spells than you do Potter." He raised his chin in challenge.

"I wasn't talking about spells Kingston. Stay away from my girlfriend." He warned before walking away with Lily still in his arms. When they were out of the library, Lily with the library book she'd checked out under her arm James pulled her against a wall and stared down at her patiently. She looked up at him questioningly.

"What was that about Lil?" he asked her running a hand down her cheek. She leant in to his hand and closed her eyes for a second.

"Charlie wanting to say hi. And to ask me what I was doing with you."

"What else?"

"He asked me if I really expected him to believe that I would rather be with you than him."

"And what did you say?"

"What the hell do you think I said?" she asked looking up at him anger sparkling in her eyes. He smiled down at her and captured her mouth with his. They kissed quietly for a few minutes before James backed away. He leant his forehead against hers.

"I'm guessing you said me."

"You guess right. I'm hungry. Can we sneak down to the kitchens and get something to eat?" she asked smiling charmingly up at him.

"Yep. Let's go." Walking away with his arm wrapped around her waist James felt like the happiest man alive.

* * *

Lily opened her letter and looked around before reading it. She noticed that most of the other seventh years in the great Hall had received letters almost identical to hers. She pondered it for a minute then whooped with delight. James looked up from his own letter and looked at her, his eyebrows raised. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I did it. I got all the NEWTS I needed for a job at St Mungo's. I start work next year. Oh I'm so happy."

"Congratulations Lily." James, Sirius, Remus, Henriette, Anna, Carrie and Samantha all voiced their congratulations. She waited for more happy exclamations from her friends. The next person to let out a cheer was Henriette.

"Yes. I did it. I did it. I did it Lil."

"What?"

"I got all my NEWTS if I want to be an Auror. And I got an offer from the Ministry of Magic."

"Congratulations." Lily threw her arms around her best friend.

"Me too." James said quietly. Lily turned to him, her face registering shock.

"What? You never told me you wanted to be an Auror. I thought you put in for a Quidditch position."

"I'm sorry Lily. But I really want to do something against Lord Voldemort. Besides I have Sirius to look after me. And he has me."

"Well that makes me feel a hell of a lot better." She turned away from him, trying to mask the tears that threatened to spill over.

'I won't let him see me cry. This is a happy time for him. He got the job he wanted.' She smiled through her tears at Carrie who had been sitting next to her and was the only one who could see Lily's silent weeping. She waved away the comforting arm that Carrie was about to offer.

"Well I got into St Mungo's as well." She heard Anna announce. Then Samantha announced that she had been offered a job in America to study the magical creatures there. Remus announced that he had been offered a scholarship to learn to be a DADA teacher. Everyone already knew what Sirius had chosen for his career. Lily looked up at Carrie, the only one who hadn't announced her job. She and Carrie locked eyes and Carrie signalled that she didn't want to say. Lily turned back to her other friends.

"So who wants me to announce a Hogsmeade weekend to celebrate?" she asked drawing attention away from the letters.

"Yesss." Sirius pumped a fist in the air. "I guess it does pay to be friends with the Head Boy and the Head Girl." He stood up and did a victory dance. Lily laughed at him, avoiding James' eye. She knew that eventually they would have to talk about it but until then she would rather not think about it. When the bell rang signalling the start of classes Lily hurriedly gathered her bag up and walked out of the Great Hall with Carrie in tow. James sighed and stared after her. The rest of her friends smiled sympathetically at him then walked out of the Great Hall. Sirius and Remus stayed behind.

"Whets up with Lily Prongs?" asked Sirius. When James remained quiet Remus spoke up.

"I'm guessing she's peeved that you lied to her. And also that you are about to start the most dangerous job any person could go into. Besides being a spy of course."

"I told her I was sending letters to all the Quidditch clubs around England. And she believed me."

"Nothing you can do about it now James. We should get to class." Remus and Sirius hauled James to his feet and had to practically drag him away from the Great Hall.

* * *

The next lesson where Lily and James shared a class was Transfiguration. He tried to sit next to her, but she the stare she sent him was icily threatening. He chose to sit behind her. A lot safer. Sirius sat next to James and Henriette sat next to Lily. Halfway through the class James sent Lily a note, she unfolded it under the table and quickly read it.

_Lily,_

_I'm really sorry I didn't tell you. Please forgive me. Talk to me. Please don't shut me out._

_James_

She wrote a quick response.

_Talk to you after class. Maybe._

_Lily_

James sighed, crumpled the note and transfigured it into a lily, then threw it gently on her desk. He watched as she carefully picked it up and sniffed it. She put it under the table and it rested on her lap the rest of the lesson. When the bell rang and Professor McGonagall dismissed them James waited outside the door for Lily to come out. When she did she looked up at him and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. Taking her hand he led her away from the crowds of students, towards an empty classroom. He sat down in a chair and pulled her onto his lap. She rested her head against his shoulder and he held her tightly, soothingly as she sobbed. When she finished he kept holding her until she looked up and locked eyes with him. He softly wiped the tears still on her cheeks and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. She clung onto him and they sat there, silently, comfortably.

"I'm sorry I'm not happy for you." She said croakily.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. But I didn't want you to be upset or worry about me."

"James, not a day goes by that I don't worry about you. Especially with all the trouble you and Sirius still get it, even with you as Head Boy."

"Lily I need to do something, anything I can to stop Voldemort."

"But why do you have to put yourself in danger to accomplish that?"

"Because there isn't any other way." He replied his voice hinted of withheld anger that made Lily feel foolish. She turned to him, locking eyes again and stared into his eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said again wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"It's okay Lily, I was more worried about losing you."

"You'll never lose me James." She promised softly.

* * *


	15. Finished Sorry

Dear Readers and Reviewers,

First of all let me say that i loved reading all of you reviews they made me feel really great about my story and may even inspire me to write another one.

Secondly let me say that sometimes having a computer can be a real pain in the butt. This story was on hiatus coz my computer fizzled out and died...the funeral is on sunday, but becoz my hard drive got completed buggered up my stories got deleted. And i know that i should have printed the chapters or saved them to a floppy disk or something like that but i didnt so...

So as of this moment...9:19 Friday 17th February 2006 Lily James and Chocolate Cake is officialy finished. There is no more of it. I know the ending kind of sucks and i am sorry about that, but i can not help that. Hopefully you will see another story from me in the future.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing my story. I hope you liked it coz it took me ages to write and i loved the story.

Thanks again,

Jimmieiscool7 . > 


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